Anita Frawley, wife of the late great Danny Frawley, is passionate and determined to make AFL safe for all players – from kids to grassroots footy to the professional leagues. Her mission is to bring about conversation and change. Anita has become a spokesperson for better safety measures in sport and for the better understanding and treatment of brain injuries sustained in sport namely concussion and CTE.<\/p>\n
Danny Frawley was concussed approximately 20 times during his 240 games for the Saints. He played from 1984-1995, a time when it was considered a badge of honour to play on after being injured.<\/p>\n
Danny Frawley had also been a passionate advocate for mental health and research, becoming one of the first players to disclose his mental health struggles which helped to destigmatise the issue and encouraged others to speak up about their own battles. Sadly, his mental health deteriorated in the weeks leading up to his death. Danny Frawley, captain of the Saints for nine seasons, coach and sports commentator died following a car crash in September 2019.<\/p>\n
Following his tragic death Anita was determined to find answers. She states \u201cFrom the moment my girls and I were delivered the news that Danny had died; I knew I needed to have his brain autopsied for CTE. Despite all the stress and grief in my heart, I knew something was awry with his brain as he was not the man I married, and I needed clarity. I requested that Associate Professor Michael Buckland, from the Australian Sports Brain Bank, perform a brain autopsy, beginning the journey of the CTE discovery. The care and compassion that Michael showed my daughters, and I helped us navigate through the most difficult times of our lives. The subsequent finding that Danny had CTE stage 2 gave the girls and I clarity about his condition and the choices he made. Strangely, it almost provided us with relief\u2014relief that he had no choice over his action because of his brain injury.\u201d<\/p>\n
The AFL legend\u2019s death devastated his family and the football community, but his wife Anita is determined to see that his death is not\u201d for nothing\u201d and to use her family\u2019s experiences to help others. \u201cI can’t change the past, but I can have a hand at changing the future… we must act to stop athletes from taking the field when they’re concussed.\u201d<\/p>\n
Anita wants to see reforms put in place to prevent injuries – particularly at the junior level. This includes stricter protocols in response to head injuries and better treatment and support of players with suspected CTE.<\/p>\n
Anita and her daughters are also determined to see Frawley\u2019s mental health campaigns live on. They were instrumental in the creation of the Danny Frawley Centre, a project her husband had initiated before his death. The centre is a state-of-the-art community based Mental and Physical Fitness Facility co-located at the home of St. Kilda Football Club, RSEA Park in Moorabbin. In addition, Spud\u2019s Game is an annual match dedicated to raising awareness about mental health and suicide prevention. Spud\u2019s Lunch is an annual event celebrating Frawley\u2019s legacy.<\/p>\n
Not only is Anita an ambassador for CLF Australia bur she is also a committed supporter of the Australian Sports Brain Bank not just because they provided her with much needed answers but because she sees their research being instrumental in the prevention and treatment of concussion. She has urged the AFL to include a brain donation form on every player\u2019s contract. This has also been supported by a Victorian coroner.\u00a0 Anita said she hoped it \u201cwould become her late husband\u2019s legacy to encourage players to \u201chave the right\u201d to donate their brain to the Australian Sports Brain Bank\u201d.<\/p>\n
In addition to her endorsement of the Brain Bank research and carrying on her husband\u2019s work Anita is active in lobbying the AFL on behalf of its players and would like to see the AFL invest more time into past players. Anita\u2019s stand on the matter is simple. \u201cFor me, this is not about blame or justice-seeking; it’s simpler than that. It’s just about care\u2014caring for the human beings that have given their lives to the sport they loved. Only by prioritising care will our sporting bodies honour the responsibility to protect and support our athletes during their careers and long after they have retired\u201d.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Anita Frawley, wife of the late great Danny Frawley, is passionate and determined to make AFL safe for all players – from kids to grassroots footy to the professional leagues. Her mission is to bring about conversation and change. Anita has become a spokesperson for better safety measures in sport and for the better understanding […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"featured_media":32166,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"inline_featured_image":false},"advisory_boards_categories":[],"class_list":["post-25377","advisory-boards","type-advisory-boards","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n