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A post-mortem examination found he had severe chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) at the time of his death – a type of brain degeneration thought to be caused by repeated head traumas.
A neuropathologist at the Australian Sports Brain Bank later found Tuckhad the most severe case of CTE they had seen.
Tuck is one of five former AFL footballers to be diagnosed with CTE after their deaths,including Graham “Polly” Farmer,Danny Frawley andMurray Weideman.
While commending the AFL’s recent work to change its rules and regulations around head blows,Cantu said more focus was needed on reducing the likelihood of players developing CTE rather than single instances of concussions,with repeated non-symptomatic head knocks also contributing to conditions.
This could include mannequins or bags being used in training to reduce head contact,he said.
Cantu,who is also director of clinical research at the Cantu Concussion Centre in Massachusetts and senior advisor to America’s NFL,said not all concussions were equal.
Of most concern were concussions that had a prolonged length of symptoms,along with repeated head knocks,particularly those that occurred within weeks of each other.
Repeated head trauma,from both head knocks and concussion,was the leading contributor to developing CTE,he said.
“The general concept is the more repetitive traumas to the head somebody takes,the greater their risk of CTE,” Cantu said.
He said an additional focus on reducing all head contact would be a “good thing” for the AFL to work towards to make the game safer at both a professional and community level.
This,he said,could include pursuing whether helmets could be used to reduce head trauma,noting the USA used tracking devices in headgear and mouth guards to help track a player’s head knock count.
But Cantu also noted that some helmets could make it difficult to see players’ facial expressions and eye movements,which could impair concussion assessments from the sidelines.
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The inquest heardthe AFL had already begun testing the use of sensor devices to help detect head knocks.
Earlier,the inquest heard as Tuck’s health deteriorated from 2006 to 2018, he began hearing voices and was eventually hospitalised after experiencing hallucinations,suicidal thoughts and voices commanding him to kill himself.
Tuck had a decorated AFL career,playing 173 games with Richmond from 2004 to 2013. He then spent several years as a professional boxer.
The coroner is expected to investigate whether Tuck suffered concussion and head injuries during his AFL and professional boxing careers;what,if any,connection can be established between those injuries and his diagnosis of CTE;and what connection,if any,can be established between Tuck’s CTE diagnosis and his death.
The inquest continues.
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