Two high-profile former football players have spoken out about their brain injuries following celebrated careers in their respective codes. Yesterday, legendary Geelong full-forward Gary Ablett Sr said a recent scan showed his 8-10 severe concussions and plenty of head knocks before his retirement in 1996 have left him with “significant structural and functional brain damage”. Since 2010, he says he has suffered from a debilitating range of conditions, including severe depression. And former top rugby league player Mark Carroll also came forward (paywall) with his recent diagnosis of probable chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) “not for sympathy, not for myself, but for the other former footballers, who I know are suffering in ­silence.” While the codes are stepping up concussion protocols for those in the game today, Ablett and Carroll are the latest advocates for more support for former players, as campaigners call in the top leagues and government to fund players’ brain scans.