Former AFL star takes legal action against footy club and council after horrific incident that forced him into early retirement
- Player crashed through a fence and landed headfirst on a rock
- Persistent horror injuries that led to his early retirement
- Now he is suing for negligence in the High Court
Former AFL player Eli Templeton is suing Balwyn Football Club, the Eastern Football League and Boroondara Council after a serious on-field incident.
In August 2022, while playing for Balwyn Football Club, Templeton was sent over a fence and hit his head on concrete.
The impact resulted in a skull fracture and bleeding in the brain. The incident occurred when Templeton crashed through the Balwyn interchange area and hit his head on rocks outside the ground.
Former Essendon and Fremantle player Clarke was handed a two-match ban for his involvement.
Despite recovering physically, Templeton had to retire from football.
The 28-year-old, who made 14 appearances for St Kilda between 2014 and 2016 and was a current player for Port Melbourne in the VFL, is now suing for negligence in the High Court.
Templeton during his AFL playing days for St Kilda before being forced to retire at the age of 26
Templeton’s legal team will argue that the council, Balwyn Football Club and the Eastern Football League were negligent in placing the player substitution and fence too close to the ground.
At the time of the incident he was 26 and playing a one-off match for Balwyn on a bye weekend for Port Melbourne.
Nine News reporter Tom Morris said: ‘Eli Templeton was playing a one-off match here at Balwyn in 2022 when he suffered a career-ending concussion at the age of 26.
Templeton has launched High Court proceedings, suing not only Balwyn Football Club, but also the Eastern Football League and the City of Boroondara for negligence.
Templeton claims the boundary line was too close to the fence and the drinks table he crashed into posed a hazard that did not comply with AFL and local football rules.β
The injuries Templeton suffered in 2022 have lasting consequences. Morris reported, βHe suffered four seizures and two brain hemorrhages, which resulted in permanent damage.
Templeton’s injuries were so horrific that the game (in 2022) was immediately canceled early in the third quarter.
From the documents I mentioned earlier, it appears that Templeton suffers from major depressive disorder with anxiety, among a range of other mental health conditions.
The case has significant implications for local football across the country and no hearing date has yet been set.β
Templeton, who was part of Port Melbourne’s leadership group and contributed to their VFL premiership victory in 2017, was selected by St Kilda as pick three in the 2014 AFL rookie draft.