Ex-cricketer Will Pucovski takes legal action against former school over concussion

A private school football coach allegedly directed students to ‘go in hard’ against each other during a training drill, leaving a Test cricketer with a concussion at age 16. Former Australian cricketer Will Pucovski has launched legal action against Brighton Grammar School over its handling of his concussion in 2014. Once considered a generational cricketing talent, Pucovski announced his medical retirement from the sport in April 2023 aged 27, playing one Test for Australia against India at the SCG in 2021. He claims he suffered at least 13 concussions throughout his career, with the initial injury occurring during a 2014 Australian rules football training session at Brighton Grammar. The coach allegedly instructed students to be aggressively physical during a sling tackle drill, hitting Pucovski in the left temple and knocking him unconscious. After regaining consciousness, he was assisted off the field but returned for the rest of the session. Pucovski’s lawyers allege the coach lacked proper accreditation and failed to arrange medical assessment or treatment. The school was vicariously liable for the alleged breach of duty, as it allegedly failed to inform Pucovski’s parents about the head collision. The 16-year-old initially ignored symptoms, including headaches, but a GP diagnosed concussion three days later. Doctors later advised him to stop all physical activity and recover for six weeks. The 2014 injury is alleged to have caused long-term traumatic brain injury, vision problems, persistent migraines, and mental health issues including OCD and anxiety. Pucovski, now 28, continues to suffer from concussion-related symptoms such as fatigue, headaches, and motion sickness. Brighton Grammar School has not commented further, as the matter is under legal proceedings.