The sport their boy loved was damaging his brain. 'Now it's too late'

Nick Lowden grew up in Traralgon, Victoria, always with a football in his hands. By the time he was eight, he was playing for his local club and winning awards. He earned five junior best-and-fairest prizes in a row, and his parents Kerry and Tony believed the AFL was within his reach. Nick was selfless on the field, often passing the ball to teammates instead of going for glory himself. His family loved watching him play the sport he adored.

In 2017, when Nick was 17, a single moment changed everything. He leapt for a mark during a Gippsland Power game and came crashing down, hitting his head hard on the ground. He was knocked out briefly, but against the league's own safety rules, he was sent back out to play. Afterwards, Nick couldn't remember the team song and kept asking if they had won. Over the next year, he became sensitive to light, had mood swings, and fell into depression.

CTE, or chronic traumatic encephalopathy, is a brain disease caused by repeated hits to the head. An abnormal protein builds up in the brain's nerve cells, making them break down and die. There is no test or scan that can find CTE while a person is alive — it can only be confirmed after death. Brain expert Dr. Michael Buckland found CTE in Nick's brain and said the damage may have started when Nick was a teenager. He noted that even small, everyday bumps — not just big concussions — can cause this disease over time.

Nick went on to have a solid semi-professional football career, playing for the Casey Demons and then Norwood in South Australia. He was studying at university, had a girlfriend, and was surrounded by people who loved him. But privately, he was struggling every single day with his mental health. He tried medication and psychologists, but nothing worked. His mother Kerry says he was fighting a battle he could not win.

In July 2023, Nick's mental health reached a crisis point. His parents became very worried as he told them he felt like he couldn't go on. When Kerry and Tony returned home from a trip, Nick wasn't answering their calls. Kerry rushed inside their family home and found that Nick had taken his own life. He was 23 years old.

After Nick died, his family agreed to donate his brain to researchers. They thought it might help scientists learn about depression. Instead, they were told Nick had CTE — a disease they had never heard of. Kerry was shocked that the public knows so little about such a serious condition. The family decided to share Nick's story so other parents and players would know the risks they never knew about.

Nick's name is now on a shield and a medal at his old junior football club in Traralgon. Every year, the under-15s best-and-fairest award is given out in his honour. His father Tony speaks at the presentation day and reminds young players what Nick believed in. 'Football wasn't just about kicking goals or winning games,' Tony says. 'Combined Saints gave him community, belonging and purpose.'