‘I’m sitting at home having seizures’: Why John Barnes is suing the AFL

Former Essendon and Geelong ruckman John Barnes is speaking about the damage he says the game caused – and the accountability he still wants.

Apr 13, 2026, updated Apr 13, 2026

More than a decade after he retired from AFL, John Barnes collapsed without warning and began having seizures.

The former Essendon and Geelong ruckman says years of head knocks left him with epilepsy, memory problems, and a life he barely recognised.

Now, as a growing class action takes on the AFL over concussion, Barnes is speaking about the damage he says the game caused – and the accountability he still wants.

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Guest: Former AFL ruckman, John Barnes

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