A Victorian AFL club has reportedly signed a secret agreement with a player that has a history of concussions, requiring him to assume all legal responsibility for future brain injuries in order to continue his career, according to News Corp AFL reporter Jay Clark.

The club’s objective was to exonerate themselves and their medical staff from future legal action when executing the deal with the current player.

However, this attempt to bypass legal liability directly breaches the league’s strict regulatory framework. The contract violates AFL Rule 4.3, which states that “no player shall be engaged by a club other than under the Contract of Service lodged with the AFL.”

The deal was signed two years ago, however, the AFL and the AFL Players Association was only made aware a week ago.

The waiver was driven by panic after insurers stripped player head trauma coverage in early 2026, leaving clubs financially exposed while a landmark $1 billion concussion class action looms involving over 100 former AFL players in court next year.

Concussion campaigner and long-time player manager Peter Jess heavily criticised the contract on 3AW, calling it a direct breach of the player’s human rights.

“So he actually doesn’t know what he’s signing into. It’s an awfully cynical move by the AFL to blame shift.”

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