{
  "id": 328928,
  "title": "Grief-stricken mother of star footballer reveals AFL executive phone call",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/07/grief-stricken-mother-of-star-footballer-reveals-afl-executive-phone-328928",
  "topic": "business",
  "section": "Business",
  "published": "2026-08-07T18:41:01.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "ABC News",
    "slug": "abc-news",
    "url": "https://www.abc.net.au/news/2026-08-08/adam-hunter-mother-accuses-afl-of-cover-up-on-brain-injury-cte/107008390"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Grief-stricken mother Joanne Brown of former West Coast Eagles star Adam Hunter revealed that AFL executive Laura Kane called her four weeks after the Four Corners report, which exposed 33 Australian Rules players diagnosed with chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE). Mrs. Brown labeled the call \"too little, too late.\" The AFL's handling of grieving families' concerns has been called into question, with Mrs. Brown asserting that clubs effectively managed these matters. A Geelong player's agreement to sign a club-approved waiver to play despite a history of concussion has been deemed \"disgusting\" by Mrs. Brown. The AFL has pledged to reduce contact in training from the start of the upcoming season, but a coroner's report from 2023 already recommended this. Mrs. Brown accused the league of failing to act promptly on the coroner's recommendation, expressing disgust at the AFL's apparent attempt to cover up the issue.",
  "summary": "West Coast Eagles star Adam Hunter's grieving mother Joanne Brown says AFL executive Laura Kane reached out to her, but the phone call was \"too little, too late\".",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 2,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "ABC News AU",
        "title": "Grief-stricken mother of star footballer reveals AFL executive phone call",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/07/grief-stricken-mother-of-star-footballer-reveals-afl-executive-phone",
        "published": "2026-08-07T18:41:01.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}