As a player, Brett Horsnell took all the physical blows you might expect on a rugby league pitch, but he now believes it has had a devastating impact on his health in later life.
ASK ANY former teammate the best way to describe ex-Gold Coast Giants, Seagulls, Crushers and Parramatta forward Brett Horsnell and they will all tell you the same thing, as tough as they come.
A former schoolboy star with the famous Keebra Park High School on the Gold Coast, Horsnell typified what a good clubman was all about.
The man affectionately known as “Horse”, made his first-grade debut for the defunct Gold Coast Giants in 1989 as a promising centre, having been headhunted by then Giants coach Bob McCarthy.
With over 154 first grade games under his belt, the former rugby league veteran is now facing a new challenge, having been diagnosed with probable CTE disease (Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy).
CTE is a degenerative and often fatal brain disease that stems from repeated brain trauma, something Horsnell believes spawned from his playing days.
Having endured over 51 concussions throughout his career, Horsnell is unable to function properly post-retirement, that includes, difficulty in walking, memory loss, light sensitivity, blinding headaches, and vertigo.
But as the former Australian schoolboys captain rolls up his sleeves in the fight of his life, he refuses to give up hope of doctors finding a cure for the disease.
CTE has also affected other well-known stars including his former coach at the Gold Coast in Wally Lewis.
“I suppose when you are playing, getting knocked out just comes with the territory when you are putting the body on the line.
“When I was playing in the old Sydney competition, you just did what you were paid to do, but sometimes came off second best.
“I lost count of how many times I was knocked out on the field, but when I was going through old footage with my doctor, we counted over 51 times I had to be assisted by the trainer.
“Probably the scariest concussion I had was in a trial game one year.
“I don’t even remember getting knocked out on the field, but it was later when I was coming around in the dressing room, when things started to get serious.
“From the footage, I got knocked out, got up, collapsed again, got up and then collapsed once more.
“I remember waking up in the dressing sheds with my family hovering over me and was taken to hospital.
“On the way to the hospital in the ambulance, my heart stopped, and I was given a shot of adrenaline to restart it.
“Looking back now, I dodged a bullet because of the quick-thinking paramedics who potentially saved my life.”
After six seasons and 82 matches for the Gold Coast, Horsnell left the glitter strip in 1995, joining the defunct South Queensland Crushers franchise.
He was part of the Crushers inaugural match on 11th March, 1995 and was a shadow player for Queensland captain Trevor Gillmeister when Gillmeister was hospitalised in the lead-up to Game III of that year’s State of Origin with a serious infection.
Horsnell spent two seasons with the Crushers where he was one of the standout forwards at the club, but with the Super League war that erupted in Australia at the time, the Crushers fell victim during the turmoil and were consequently placed into liquidation.
“The Crushers were going places and although we didn’t have a strong playing roster, we did have the likes of Gillmeister, Mario Fenech and two English imports in Mike Ford and the late St John Ellis, who were sensational in our debut season.”
Horsnell was picked up by the Parramatta Eels in 1997, playing a pivotal role in the club’s first finals campaign since 1986.
“I reckon I played my best football at Parramatta because of the coach Brian Smith.
“Smithy was such a smart tactician of the game and got the best out of his players and I was one of them.
“Brian just let me do my job out on the field and it was refreshing to play under a coach who believed in his players.
“It was just the change I needed.”
Having left Parramatta at the end of the 1998 season, Horsnell’s final game in first grade would be the 15-15 draw against St George in Round 24 at Kogarah Oval.
But post-retirement, things went from bad to worse with Horsnell’s health with tests revealing the CTE diagnosis.
In a landmark case in rugby league, Horsnell began legal proceeding against the NRL for duty of care that was all set for the high courts in Sydney, before the case was eventually dropped.
In 2004, the rugby league family organised a charity rugby league match that was held for Horsnell that featured the South Queensland Crushers and the Gold Coast Seagulls.
Both clubs had been resurrected for one night only, raising money for their former teammate.
Whilst Horsnell may still be in the infancy stages of receiving cutting edge treatment for his CTE, he is also branching out trying many unconventional methods in finding relief for his debilitating symptoms.
“I’ve enlisted the services of a naturopath who is treating me at present with various natural medicines.
“Since I started treatment, I feel I have a lot more energy and although I am not 100 per cent as such, I have seen some changes that at least have me being able to get out of bed.
“I’m also writing an autobiography on my career and the dangers of concussion in contact sports because I would hate to see anybody going through the same pain I’ve had to endure.
“If you think something isn’t quite right with your health, go and get it checked out by a doctor especially if you are someone who had been concussed many times.
“Looking back, if there was more awareness for players on the dangers of CTE back when I was playing, things might have been a bit different.
“However, you can’t dwell on the past and I can safely say that rugby league has given me opportunities that most players could only dream about.
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