Wally Lewis helps secure $12.5m in funding for CTE after his own diagnosis

Millions of dollars in federal funding have now been locked in to support sufferers and educate kids about the dangers of concussions.

He earned the coveted title of “The King” for his incredible feats on the hallowed turf of Lang Park but after receiving a devastating diagnosis of CTE in 2023, Lewis has led the charge to secure government funding for the brain condition. 

Following Lewis’s call to action in a National Press Club address last year where he revealed the significant impact CTE is having on his day-to-day life, the federal government is now dedicating $12.5 million to the cause. 

CTE is a form of dementia linked to repeated head injuries or concussions, which may result in changes in personality, behaviour, and cognitive function.

This funding will enable Dementia Australia to develop a pilot support program for CTE sufferers and an education initiative to be rolled out in schools increasing awareness among children about the consequences of head injuries. 

“Players get up, fall to the ground, get up, fall to the ground, not able to keep the balance out there on the football field,” Lewis said. 

“That used to be judged, once upon a time, as a wonderful display from a tough footy player, but that’s not common sense in the current day terms.”

In Australia in 2021-22, around 1600 people between the ages of five and 24 were hospitalised with sports-related concussions. 

“This isn’t about stopping kids from playing contact sport,” Federal Sport Minister Anika Wells said.

“It’s about encouraging kids to participate fully and safely.”