Another star player from the 1980s has been diagnosed with the degenerative brain disease CTE.
Brendan Hall, a favourite son of the Sydney Roosters in the '80s and '90s who played over 150 games for the club, is only 59.
But his memory is already fading and he cannot work as the insidious disease Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy – caused by repeated concussions – takes hold of his body.
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"It's just a horrible illness without a cure and watching him go downhill a little more each day is heartbreaking," Hall's wife Sue told Wide World of Sports.
"We had to sell our house in Sydney soon after he was diagnosed two years ago because he had to stop working.
"Luckily we were able to move in with his parents down in Canberra – Brendan's home town – and that has saved us financially.
"We've been to see leading brain experts and they have diagnosed his condition as frontal lobe dementia and CTE.
"They have told us there is simply no way to cure it and that it will only get worse.
"The (Roosters) club are aware of his condition but we're not after handouts and don't want fundraisers or anything like that.
"But we do want other players to be aware of the dangers and to get themselves checked out."
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Simple home chores have become difficult for the former Australian Schoolboy rep and fitness fanatic.
"He forgets things, especially the recent past – he does remember some of his footy days and old Roosters team-mates like Trevor Gillmeister and Craig Salvatori are always checking on him.
"He barely remembers anything about our two daughters growing up."
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