‘Deserved physical pain’: Inside the training session at the heart of Test cricketer’s legal claim

August 26, 2026 — 3:05pm Former Australian cricketer Will Pucovski has alleged he felt his school football coach, Alex Sylvan, wanted his team to experience ‘physical pain’ before a training session in which he was concussed for the first time in May 2014. The incident, which became the start of a series of career-ending concussions, is part of a writ against Brighton Grammar School lodged in the Supreme Court of Victoria. The filing alleges that Sylvan organised a vigorous training session after the school’s second XVIII were beaten by Scotch College in a game of APS football. Sylvan reportedly said, ‘Training would be aggressive and physical due to the team’s unacceptably weak performance in the weekend’s game.’ Before the training drill commenced, Sylvan instructed students to be aggressively physical with each other, telling them to ‘go in hard’ against each other, implying players deserved physical pain. Pucovski understood the intention was for players to show aggression toward each other. During the training drill, Pucovski was sling-tackled in a rotational and vigorous manner, causing his head to collide with another student’s knee at the left temple. He experienced head pain and other symptoms, later diagnosed with concussion by a doctor at Nepean Family Medical Centre. He was ordered to rest but was later approached by Sylvan to run in Brighton’s next football match, where he complained of more headaches. He was taken to Cabrini Hospital in Malvern, advised to cease school and physical activity. For the next six weeks, Pucovski was frequently forced to stay at home in a darkened room, continued to have headaches, and developed persistent, looping, and intrusive thoughts, later diagnosed as a form of mental health disorder. A neurologist, Professor Gavin Davis, confirmed ongoing significant symptoms, stating Pucovski had sustained a traumatic brain injury he had never recovered from. Pucovski, now 28, seeks damages for lost income as a professional cricketer between 2016 and 2025 and for his inability to maximize future earnings as a media commentator or coach after retiring from professional cricket. He played one Test for Australia in 2021 but has since endured multiple concussions, including a final career-ending blow in a Sheffield Shield game against Tasmania in 2024. He has worked as a head coach for the Melbourne Cricket Club and as a commentator for Seven Network. Gordon Legal, representing Pucovski, alleges malpractice by Sylvan, including failure to comply with concussion management guidelines. The writ also mentions Peter Gordon, a prominent class action lawyer and former Western Bulldogs club president, advising Pucovski on his legal standing. A court date has not been set.