'Shocking': Ex-AFL player's harrowing story after career-ending injury

The role of the insurance industry and the AFL Players Association has been called into question after the harrowing story of a former player was brought to light in the Herald Sun.

Former West Coast Eagles player Patrick Bines, a category B rookie with the club in 2019, opened up about the devasatating impact a career-ending spinal injury has taken on his life with AFL reporter Jon Ralph.

'NOT SAVAGE ENOUGH': AFL great's call to crack down on 'faking'

'NOT HAPPY': Taylor Walker in hot water with AFL over Trent Cotchin claim

While playing for the Eagles' reserves in 2019, Bines was hit in the back of the neck by a mistimed spoil, resulting in severe and debilitating pain which left him unable to move at all for some time.

Bines told the Herald Sun he had tried just about every treatment and every drug under the sun - but nothing worked.

With the concept of training and playing AFL football now unthinkable, all Bines, a junior basketballer who represented Australia in under-17s, had to show for his time in the league was one season's pay at $75,000, and an insurance policy which didn't cover his injuries.

Desperately seeking any method by which to alleviate the shooting pain, which Bines said could keep him awake in agony for as long as 40 hours at a time, the now 22-year-old said even using morphine in the injecting rooms in the Melbourne suburb of Richmond did next to nothing to offer him any relief.

“In one of those WAFL games someone spoiled and clipped my neck and I woke up in the morning and I just couldn’t move in bed,” Bines said.

“It was so sore. That was pretty much the last time I ever did any sport.

“I sat out the rest of the year, got delisted and from there that’s where everything started. That is where the nightmare began.”

AFL great Jonathan Brown unhappy over player insurance issues

Bines was denied compensation under insurance company AMP's total and permanent disfigurement clause, signed in his superannuation contract arranged by the AFLPA.

The AFLPA switched to a different policy provider, One Path, in December 2020, but that has proven to be of little help to Bines, who has remained completely unable to work or study since the incident.

The former Eagle's story was discussed by the panel on Fox Footy's On the Couch on Tuesday night, with Brisbane Lions legend Jonathan Brown flabbergasted that the league had not arranged more help for Bines.

He said that while all players acknowledged the risks of getting seriously injured playing football, that was no excuse for the AFL and AFLPA not to have a better working relationship with insurance companies to ensure players are appropriately looked after.

“Firstly, it’s a disgrace he’s not paid out for permanent disability. What more evidence could you have there? It’s a shocking story,” Brown said.

“Absolutely you would think players would be more open to paying potentially higher premiums if that gave better insurance.

"I’m not sure the AMP and the AFLPA situation with compensation and some of the pension stuff has been a great relationship over the journey.

“Glad to see the AFLPA is improving a few things, but that is a disgrace. That is an absolute disgrace, players going out (like Bines).

“Yes we know there is an inherent risk but players should be insured for the rest of their life more than a couple hundred grand. How’s 200 grand going to get that kid through the rest of his life?"

In a statement, the AFLPA acknowledged that there was still plenty of work to be done in this area.

“Players who leave the game with injuries that impact their ability to work post football, or total or permanent disability deserve to be provided with adequate support. Currently there are gaps in our industry," the statement read.

“In lieu of WorkCover or support from the league the AFLPA, through the current players’ share of industry revenue, has established an Injury and Hardship Fund and a collective insurance policy for Death or Total and Permanent Disability.

“We continue to advocate for the industry to fill the gaps for players who leave the game in need of support.”

Watch 'Mind Games', the new series from Yahoo Sport Australia exploring the often brutal mental toil elite athletes go through in pursuit of greatness:

Click here to sign up to our newsletter for all the latest and breaking stories from Australia and around the world.