Former Geelong doctors Chris Bradshaw and Geoff Allen have taken aim at player Max Rooke, describing his statement of claim as 'vague and embarrassing'.

Max Rooke, the former Geelong Cats premiership defender and cult hero, is the lead plaintiff in a class action brought by Margalit Injury Lawyers. He alleges his life was impacted by serious head knocks and that he suffered permanent, life-altering injuries as a result of concussions due to the negligence of the AFL and the Geelong Football Club.

Rooke's second amended statement of claim lodged in the Supreme Court of Victoria lists 23 games across 2002 to 2009 where he allegedly had a major head knock, was concussed and/or 'suffered from loss of consciousness'.

Former Geelong doctors Chris Bradshaw, who spent over a decade at the club, and Geoff Allen, who spent 15 years with the Cats as a trainer, are two of the listed third parties mentioned in Rooke's statement of claim.

Bradshaw and Allen claim Rooke failed to properly identify a range of issues, including what steps or measures the AFL and/or the Cats should have taken to monitor the alleged risks, what steps or measures the AFL and/or Geelong should have taken to assess the alleged risks, and the studying and monitoring of the effect of the alleged head knocks and concussions.

The doctors also claim Rooke did not identify what advice, warnings, and education players should have received, adding that the allegations as to 'reasonable precautions' are 'vague and embarrassing'.

Their legal team from Moray & Agnew Lawyers later stated: 'Otherwise, they deny the allegations.'

The AFL did not introduce the mandatory 12-day concussion protocol until 2021.

Rooke's statement of claim insists he 'was not advised, warned, and educated, adequately or at all, by the AFL or, through it or at all, by the Geelong Football Club, on the risks of head knocks, signs and symptoms of concussions and the concussion management risk of harm'.

The Cats have implicated the 12 doctors who worked at the club between 1985 and 2023, into the class action, seeking compensation from them if they are ordered to pay damages to Rooke and other players.

Michel Margalit, the managing principal of Margalit Injury Lawyers, said: 'It was Geelong Football Club who brought a claim against their former doctors, Bradshaw and Allen. We stand by the claims Max Rooke makes against the AFL and Geelong Football Club on behalf of injured footballers and remain committed to fighting for the compensation they deserve.'

Key Facts

  • 23 games listed in Rooke's statement of claim as having major head knocks.
  • 12-day concussion protocol introduced by the AFL in 2021.
  • 12 doctors implicated by the Cats in the class action.
  • $multimillion-dollar claim made by Rooke and other players.
  • Rooke lists 23 games where he suffered head knocks between 2002 and 2009.