Footy legend Wally Lewis opens up on CTE hell that has left him with a life of ‘fear and embarrassment’

Queensland rugby league legend Wally Lewis has called on the federal government to provide more funding for dementia and brain injury research after revealing the grim reality of living with a debilitating condition.

Nicknamed ‘The King’, the former Maroons captain has spent three decades honing a top sporting career that has seen him win a record eight Man of the Match awards at Home State level, putting him in the was at the forefront of Queensland’s dominance over NSW in the 1980s and 1990s.

The 68-year-old announced his shock retirement from sports broadcasting last year after revealing he was suffering from the effects of a neurodegenerative condition known as chronic traumatic encephalopathy, or CTE.

He detailed the profound impact of his diagnosis of dementia at a young age in a moving speech to the National Press Club in Canberra on Tuesday.

“I once had the confidence in myself to succeed – leading my team to victory, leading my country, remembering the strengths and weaknesses of my opposition, organizing myself and feeling in control of my life,” said Lewis.

Lewis is suffering from the effects of a neurodegenerative condition known as chronic traumatic encephalopathy, or CTE (Wally Lewis pictured playing for Queensland in 1990)

‘Now much of that confidence has been taken away from me due to the consequences of probable CTE dementia.

‘My daily life is no longer blessed by confidence in my daily activities.

‘Now I’m struggling to accept that it’s filled with fear and shame about how forgetful I’ve become.’

CTE is the progressive degenerative disease most common in people who have suffered repeated concussions and traumatic head injuries.

The disease is most commonly associated with athletes involved in contact sports such as rugby league and AFL.

Symptoms include memory loss, confusion, impaired judgment, aggression, depression and eventually progressive dementia.

There is no known treatment or cure for the condition.

Lewis said Australia urgently needs to adopt nationally consistent protocols to help prevent, detect and control head injuries in all sports, and players need to be educated at grassroots level to understand the risks.

“Players need to understand that brain injuries need to be taken seriously because you can’t always see them, like a broken arm,” he said.

‘It is not a badge of honor to return to the field with a head injury, it is careless.’

A landmark report on head injuries and concussions in sport released last year called on the government to develop a national strategy to reduce concussions in contact sports, including enforcing binding protocols during matches to better protect players from head injuries .

Collingwood premiership defender Nathan Murphy attended the speech, days after announcing his retirement from the AFL due to ongoing concussion problems

Currently, the NRL sporting codes stipulate that a player must wait 11 days to return to the field after suffering a brain injury.

The AFL requires a minimum of 12 days.

Lewis called on the federal government to provide $18 million over three years for a national pilot program to support people with CTE and help raise awareness of the condition.

He said that after his diagnosis, he lived every day with constant fear and anxiety about what his future would look like.

Collingwood premiership defender Nathan Murphy attended the speech, days after announcing his retirement from the AFL due to persistent concussion issues.

‘Along with the implementation of this program, there will be an expectation, especially from parents with children who play sports, that sufficient measures are now being taken to protect their children. It is our duty to do this and do it well,” Lewis said.

‘I can’t say it enough: it is preventable. We owe that to our children.’

Lewis’ plea for funding comes as Cronulla Sharks enforcer Dale Finucane announced his retirement from the NRL on Tuesday – with immediate effect – after receiving medical advice following repeated head impacts during his career.

And in August 2022, former North Queensland Cowboys coach Paul Green died suddenly at his home in Brisbane.

Doctors revealed that Green, 49, had an advanced brain disease – CTE – at the time of his death.