AFLW participant first girl identified with CTE: report

Adelaide AFLW premiership participant Heather Anderson is the primary identified skilled feminine athlete to be identified with the degenerative mind illness power traumatic encephalopathy (CTE).

Anderson, a member of the Crows’ flag-winning crew in 2017, took her personal life in November final yr on the age of 28.

The Australian Sports activities Mind Financial institution has identified Anderson as having had low-stage CTE and three lesions in her mind, in line with the ABC.

The financial institution’s director Professor Michael Buckland mentioned the prognosis, reported within the Springer Medical Journal, is critical.

“Whereas we have been discovering CTE in males for fairly a while, I feel that is actually the tip of the iceberg,” he instructed the ABC’s 7.30 Report.

“And it is an actual purple flag that now girls are taking part (in contacts sports activities) simply as males are, that we’re going to begin seeing increasingly more CTE instances in girls.”

Anderson’s father, Brian Anderson, mentioned the prognosis was “a shock however not a shock”.

“Now that this report has been printed, I am type of attempting to consider the way it would possibly play out for feminine sportspeople in all places,” he instructed the ABC.

“Suicide, it is a powerful one, it is a powerful option to see your youngster die, it is powerful to see your youngster die anyway.

“However suicide causes you to re-examine all the things, to take a look at each interplay.”

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