Note: Since publication, the government has committed to funding the program. Sports and aged care minister Anika Wells says details will be announced in the federal budget.
"The King gets it right most of the time, and he's right about CTE, and that's why we're going to back him. And we're going to have more to say about that in the budget, but we wanted to use the opportunity today after he'd spoken at the National Press Club to back Wally in."
TRANSCRIPT
Loved by Queensland and fondly loathed by New South Wales, Wally Lewis is an undeniable great of rugby league.
In a career spanning 14 years, with 31 games for Queensland and 33 tests for Australia, Lewis earnt his spot as an Immortal and his nickname of “The King”.
Lewis says he knew Rugby League would dominate his life from a young age.
"For the five of us, we were going to play sport. I was the oldest and I got to play that rugby league. I was the mascot from the time that I was two years of age. So everything about my life in the future was going to be revolving around rugby league."
But Lewis says the game he loves came at a cost.
"I once had the confidence in myself to succeed: lead my team to victory, captain my country, remember the strengths and weaknesses of my opposition teams, organise myself each and every day, and feel well and truly in control of my everyday life. Now, much of that confidence has been taken away from me by the effects of probable CTE Dementia."
Last year, Wally Lewis revealed he had probable chronic traumatic encephalopathy, known as CTE.
Dr Rowena Mobbs, from the Mater Hospital in Sydney, says it's a unique form of dementia.
"CTE is a very awkward, insidious or slow onset form of dementia. So often for 10 or 20 years, there can be anxiety, depression, increased irritability, tendency of rage to very minimal trigger. And this is a unique characteristic of CTE. Eventually, there are cognitive changes including memory, language, ability to learn and function in life daily, and that eventually gets worse over a number of years."
Now, the King is looking to protect the next generation.
In his role as ambassador for Dementia Australia, Lewis is campaigning for an $18 million investment into CTE education and support.
Lewis says a real investment is needed to reduce the risk of CTE for future generations.
"To genuinely commit to saving the brains of our children from future CTE it needs serious funding, and the Senate inquiry into concussions and repeated head trauma in contact sports has recommended it. If funded, the coalition will develop an evidence-based program to be delivered in schools right across our wonderful country."
$17 million of the funding would go towards community education campaigns, focused on schools and sports clubs.
Dr Mobbs says there's a lack of understanding in the community about brain injuries.
"One of the biggest gaps I see is the understanding of the difference between concussion risk and sub-concussion risk to CTE. So CTE is a form of dementia resulting from brain injuries. But it's all of those tackles and head injuries that add up in life to trigger the CTE process, not necessarily one or two or even 10 concussions. It's hundreds or 1000s of head injuries over time. We don't want alarmism around children in sport. It's a wonderful thing they're pursuing, but we do want change to reduce head injury risk overall and across their lifetime."
An additional $750,000 would go towards support groups for people living with CTE, similar to the Concussion Connect program that currently operates across Australia.
Lewis says those groups can save lives.
"At a recent Parliamentary Friends of Dementia event at Parliament House, one panel member bravely shared that he had been suicidal until he found Concussion Connect and that actually did save his life. Concussion Connect provides hope and I want others to know that there actually is hope."
There's cross-code support for the campaign.
Last week, 24 year old AFL player Nathan Murphy announced his retirement - told to walk away from the game by medical staff after repeated head knocks.
Murphy says education will help prevent concussion and brain injuries in the next generation.
"We learn our behaviours from a young age and they're ingrained in us. So as much as we can reach those younger year levels and younger ages, it's all they'll ever know for the future and all they'll know in terms of how to play this sport. So if we can educate them and really get that into their training from a young age, I believe we'll still be able to play this game like we play it."
Reducing head knocks changes the game.
As measures have been taken to protect players at a grassroots and professional level, there have been criticisms the game has become "soft".
Wally Lewis says if people really care about the sport, protecting players should be the priority.
"It usually comes from players around my age that come out, when we're standing around having a beer and oh they're not as good as what we were years ago! That's when the claims (emerge) of being soft. If we love rugby league enough and we loved rugby league enough to continue our affection for the game, our number one priority would be the health and wellbeing, the long-term effect, and safety for players."
In a statement, the government said it is working on a new National Dementia Action Plan, and will consider Dementia Australia's pre-budget submission as part of the usual budget process.
