Former Australian Test cricketer forced to retire at 27 sues school for head injury in 2014; here’s why | Cricket News
Former Australia Test batter Will Pucovski has taken legal action against Melbourne private school Brighton Grammar, alleging it failed in its duty of care after the first concussion he suffered in 2014.According to reports in multiple Australian media outlets, Pucovski’s lawyers have filed a statement of claim saying the school mishandled the head injury he suffered during an Australian rules football training session.Pucovski retired from professional cricket in April last year at the age of 27 after suffering 13 documented concussions during his career.The legal case centres on the first serious concussion he suffered as a teenager while playing football for Brighton Grammar. Pucovski was knocked unconscious during training, missed months of school after the incident, but returned to training within minutes of the hit.That injury became the first of 13 concussions he suffered before retiring from cricket on medical advice. His last match was for Victoria in 2024.Pucovski played one Test for Australia against India at the Sydney Cricket Ground in 2021. Opening the batting, he scored 62 in the first innings against an attack that included Jasprit Bumrah.He injured his shoulder while fielding during that match and missed the series-deciding Test at the Gabba. However, it was the repeated head injuries that eventually ended his cricket career.Speaking at a Lord’s Taverners event earlier this year, Pucovski described how the 2014 incident changed his life.“I literally got walked to the sidelines and then my only memory was the coach coming up to me and being like, ‘Do you want to keep training?’. I am like, ‘Yeah’. So I just went and trained for the rest of the day. It is probably the biggest day of my life in a weird way, because I have never felt the same since that day. I went from someone who would do anything and everything, to basically sitting on the couch doing nothing for an extended period,” he had said, as quoted by Wisden.He developed blurred vision the following day and was admitted to hospital a week later.The International Concussion Society has warned about the risks of missed concussions in young athletes.“The real concern starts when concussions are missed or inadequately addressed. This is particularly important to remember for young athletes and adolescents whose brains haven’t fully matured, which makes them more susceptible to serious brain injuries.”Pucovski suffered his final serious concussion in March 2024 after being hit on the head by a ball from Riley Meredith during a Sheffield Shield match. Following advice from an independent medical panel, he retired from professional cricket at the age of 27.
