commit suicide at 39 years old. In a study conducted recently of 413 retired VFL/AFL footballers, common problems amongst the group in old age included arthritis, hip replacements (including Kevin Sheedy, who had two operations on his hip within a short period of time), and low ability to perform sport-based activities. Steven Febey recently spoke out in Good Weekend (the magazine of the Fairfax newspaper network) detailing that his emphasis on fitness during his career had been cancelled out after his retirement, specifically when the onset of injuries during his football career began to take their toll. The AFL Players' Association is working on initiatives to set up a player welfare fund for post-AFL retirements that are impacted by sustained post-career injury. Serious or career-threatening injury cases in the AFL The following is an incomplete list of incidents in AFL games which required immediate hospitalisation or threatened the career or a player. 2001 Winston Abraham tore his ACL in his left knee after falling hard in a kneeling position during a collision with James Hird. The knee was badly twisted. He was on the ground for less than 1 minute. The injury ended his career. Jason Snell of Geelong suffered a broken ankle from which he was never able to play (or even run) again. 2002 James Hird (Essendon) suffered horrific facial injuries at Subiaco in a clash against Fremantle when teammate Mark McVeigh landed unsuccessfully from a marking contest onto his face. 2003 Collingwood star utility Tarkyn Lockyer was injured in the air during a tackle of a Cats player early in the round 3 clash against Geelong. His left leg was tackled alone. As his knee extended he suffered a tear in his anterior cruciate ligament, sidelining him for 12 months and starting a wretched luck with injuries for a further two years. 2004 In a match between Adelaide and Essendon at AAMi Stadium, James Hird suffered an eye injury when a Crow defender attempted to spoil the ball and hit him in the side of the face. It was another in the long list of Hird injuries. Hird was taken to hospital but Essendon still managed to win easily. Dustin Fletcher lost most of his teeth requiring re-implantation despite wearing a mouthguard. 2005 In a match between Melbourne and Richmond, Matthew Whelan of Melbourne lunged to smother a kick from Nathan Brown of Richmond. The foot became