Geelong AFL star Max Rooke reveals he self-harmed and had uncontrollable spasms from head knocks

Geelong great Max Rooke has revealed he self-harmed and suffered from uncontrollable spasms stemming from repeated head knocks during his AFL career.

A premiership-winner with the Cats in 2007 and 2009, the utility was a fan favourite due to his fearless attitude when chasing a Sherrin.

Rooke’s relentless style of play resulted in at least 20 career concussions – and on Tuesday, he was named as the lead plaintiff in class action lodged in the Supreme Court of Victoria against the code.

But rather than sympathy, Rooke, 41, wants to live without the aid of medication and help others.

He told the Herald Sun the spasms used to ‘hit my legs straight away and begin to creep up my body’.

‘I had memory loss and mental blanks like I hadn’t encountered before. I began to cause self-harm, which hadn’t come up before,’ he said. 

‘I feel exhausted, slightly angry and very irritated … I get close to tears and my head becomes foggy.’ 

Geelong Cats great Max Rooke has revealed he self-harmed and suffered from uncontrollable body spasms stemming from repeated head knocks during his AFL career

A dual premiership winner, Rooke (pictured right) was this week named as the lead plantiff in class action lodged in the Supreme Court of Victoria against the AFL

Also during his playing days, Rooke would often sit in the sheds for a couple of hours, hoping his parents – who had driven five hours to watch him in action – would go home.

It left the Geelong Hall of Famer ‘disgusted at who I had become as a person’.

Self-harm followed, and after some concussions Rooke ‘wasn’t fussed if he died when playing footy’.

He was eventually diagnosed with depression and given medication – and now he wants his story to be a cautionary tale.

‘I am trying to live in the present and be proactive about making positive changes and improving my health,’ he said.

‘My injuries have taken me to some dark places, but I feel that I have done a lot of work to get to a point where I can speak about it and help others.

‘I want to be an advocate for positive change and solutions, not a victim.’

The Geelong star was concussed at least 20 times during his playing career 

It comes as a number of injured football players are seeking up to $1billion in compensation from the AFL in a landmark class action over ‘serious damage’ caused by concussion during their playing days.

The action, lodged by Margalit Injury Lawyers in Victoria’s Supreme Court, is on behalf of all professional AFL players who sustained concussion-related injuries while playing or training between 1985 and March 14 this year.

More than 60 former players and family members of deceased players have signed on.

‘Their careers are finished and years later they find these concussion-related injuries creeping in and affecting their ability to work, their ability to have a happy family life,’ managing principal Michel Margalit said outside court in Melbourne on Tuesday.

She said the firm are seeking about $2million per player plus medical expenses – and more players could potentially follow.

‘The whole class action could cost the AFL close to $1billion,’ Ms Margalit said.

Injured football players are seeking up to $1billion in damages from the AFL (pictured, CEO Gillon McLachlan)

The lead plaintiff of the action in Victoria’s Supreme Court is Rooke.

The identities of the other players have not been made public – but Ms Margalit said they included former premiership players.

‘It’s things like memory loss, irritability, depression,’ she said.

‘You have these otherwise strapping, fit-looking blokes who might be crying in front of you within a few minutes of talking to them. 

‘It’s absolutely devastating.’

The firm is open to negotiating with the AFL and has been speaking with neurology experts in preparation for them to give evidence in court.

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