Former AFL star takes legal action against footy club and council after horrific incident that forced him into early retirement

Former AFL player Eli Templeton is suing the Balwyn Football Club, the Eastern Football League, and the Boroondara Council after a serious on-field incident.

In August 2022, while playing for Balwyn Football Club, Templeton was sent over a fence and landed headfirst on concrete. 

The impact resulted in a fractured skull and bleeding on the brain. The incident occurred when Templeton crashed through Balwyn’s interchange area and hit his head on rocks outside the ground. 

Former Essendon and Fremantle player Clarke received a two-match suspension for his involvement.

Despite recovering physically, Templeton had to retire from football. 

The 28-year-old, who played 14 games for St Kilda between 2014-16 and was a current player for Port Melbourne in the VFL, is now suing for negligence in the Supreme Court. 

Templeton’s legal team will argue that the council, Balwyn Football Club and the Eastern Football League were negligent in putting the the player interchange and fence too close to the ground

At the time of the incident, he was 26 and played a one-off game for Balwyn during a bye weekend for Port Melbourne.

Nine News reporter Tom Morris said, ‘Eli Templeton was playing a one-off game here at Balwyn in 2022, when he suffered a concussion that ended his career aged 26. 

Templeton has launched Supreme Court action, suing not just Balwyn Football Club, but also the Eastern Football League and the City of Boroondara for negligence. 

Templeton alleges the boundary line was too close to the fence, and the drinks table, which he was bumped into, created a hazard, which both failed to comply with AFL and local football regulations.’

The injuries Templeton suffered in 2022 have lasting effects. Morris reported, ‘He suffered four seizures and two bleeds on the brain, which resulted in permanent damage. 

Templeton’s injuries were so horrific that the game (in 2022) was called off immediately, early in the third quarter. 

The documents I spoke of before reveal Templeton suffers from major depressive disorder with anxiety, among an array of other mental health illnesses. 

The case has significant ramifications for local football around the country and no hearing date has been set.’

Templeton, who was part of Port Melbourne’s leadership group and contributed to their 2017 VFL premiership victory, was selected with pick three in the 2014 AFL rookie draft by St Kilda.