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Rugby league legend Wally Lewis has detailed the constant "fear and anxiety" he lives with due to probable CTE, as Cronulla co-captain Dale Finucane was forced into an immediate retirement due to repeated concussions.
Finucane, a dual premiership-winning middle forward, announced his decision at a press conference on Tuesday, saying he was "extremely disappointed" but had little choice other than to call time on his playing career.
Lewis called on the Australian government to invest $18 million to fund CTE awareness and support programs recommended by the Concussion and CTE Coalition in an address to the National Press Club of Australia in Canberra on Tuesday.
The 68-year-old retired as a sports presenter last year and explained how his condition had impacted both his work and every day life.
"Imagine a life where the tapestry of memories that define your very essence begins to unravel," he said.
"The threads of names, faces, and cherished moments slip away, leaving behind a canvas of uncertainty.
"I am living with the constant fear and anxiety that I'll let people down. This is my reality and the reality for all those living with dementia. One thing we do know is that CTE is the only form of dementia that is preventable, and we only get one brain.
"I once had the confidence in myself to succeed – lead my team to victory, captain my country, remember the strengths and weaknesses of my opposition, organise myself and feel in control of my life.
"Now, much of that confidence has been taken away from me by the effects of probable CTE dementia.
"My everyday life is no longer blessed by confidence in my daily activities. Now, I struggle to accept that it has been filled with fear and embarrassment about how forgetful I've become."
Finucane's career came to an end after he left the field with his latest head knock during Cronulla's round-three loss to Wests Tigers, with the 32-year-old estimating his concussions had numbered in the "double digits" since making his debut at Canterbury in 2012.
He consulted multiple independent doctors, the Rugby League Players Association and its lawyers, former and current players, and the Sharks' staff to determine whether he could play on.
"I exhausted every avenue," he said.
"There was no decision to be made. The medical advice was that I retire.
"I'm a bit numb to the feeling at the moment, it probably hasn't quite hit me because we've been going through quite a stringent process since the Tigers game."
Lewis cited Finucane's retirement in his address, and stressed the importance of teaching kids at the grassroots level to understand the risks of repeated head knocks.
"Players need to understand that just because you can't always see it, like a broken arm, a brain injury needs to be taken seriously," he said.
"It's not a badge of honour to go back out on the field with a head injury – it's careless."
The Sharks' staff and players crammed into the club's media room on their day off on Tuesday to support Finucane, who finalised his decision last Thursday.
He joins other recent players Boyd Cordner, Jake Friend and Andrew Davey in retiring prematurely due to concussion.
A team man until the end, Finucane did not tell his teammates he would be retiring until Tuesday morning, afraid any earlier announcement might distract from Braden Hamlin-Uele's 100 game-milestone and Samuel Stonestreet's NRL debut in round seven.
Revered for his uncompromising work ethic and physicality, Finucane has been a "symbol of success" at Cronulla, coach Craig Fitzgibbon said.
"It's one of the most significant (signings) our club will ever make," Fitzgibbon said of bringing Finucane to the Sharks in 2022.
"To have players like Dale that come along that embody that team spirit, and then is just a complete savage in every fashion. He's such a great man.
"Our club will never forget his time here."
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ABC/AAP