Concussion Forces Retirement
AFLW Legend Chelsea Randall Retires Due to Concussion, Raising Player Safety Concerns
Key Points
Randall is the AFLW’s most courageous player winner a record six times, underscoring her on-field tenacity and leadership.
In 2022 Randall was appointed a development coach for Adelaide's AFL men’s side, highlighting her leadership and influence beyond the AFLW.
South Australia’s AFLW participation has surged, with registered women and girls rising from 2,741 in 2017 to 11,822 today, reflecting the game’s rapid growth in the state.
The ABC Four Corners investigation cited dozens of Australian rules players diagnosed with chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE), including 19 professional or semi-professional players.
Randall’s retirement followed regular consultations with the club doctor, independent specialists, and the AFL, with concussion-related issues cited as the central factor guiding the decision.
Chelsea Randall, the greatest player in Adelaide Crows history, has retired from AFLW football at age 35 due to ongoing concussion-related issues. The decision ends an 80-game career that included three premierships, five All-Australian selections, and eight seasons as club captain, according to The Land.
"I had no choice," Randall said of her retirement, announced on June 29, 2026. The decision followed consultations with the club doctor, independent neurologists, and the AFL's medical office. Concussion concerns were the central factor, the club confirmed.
A Career Built on Courage, Ended by Concussion
Randall was one of two marquee signings when the AFLW launched in 2017. She captained Adelaide to the league's first-ever premiership that same year, then added two more titles in 2019 and 2022. Her playing style was fearless — often putting her body into aerial contests that drew repeated head knocks over her career, Jimbooma Times reported.
Her peers voted her the AFLW's Most Courageous Player a record six times. That same fearlessness, medical experts now argue, is what made her long-term brain health unsustainable. Randall said she loves the game "with every fiber" of her being, but felt a "responsibility to my future self and my family."
The 2021 Grand Final That Foreshadowed the End
Warning signs came years before her retirement. In 2021, Randall was forced to miss the AFLW Grand Final after a head knock in the Preliminary Final. She became the first star player sidelined from a season decider under the AFL's then-new 12-day mandatory rest rule for concussions. The incident highlighted just how seriously the league was starting to treat brain injuries.
Club coach Matthew Clarke said there has "never been a more courageous player in the history of the AFLW." CEO Tim Silvers added that "her health is our absolute priority," noting that her transition into coaching is already underway. Randall was appointed a development coach for Adelaide's AFL men's side in December 2022 — the first woman to hold that role at the club.
CTE Shadow Hangs Over the Entire AFLW
Randall's retirement lands amid growing alarm about brain disease in Australian rules football. An ABC Four Corners investigation found that 19 professional or semi-professional Australian rules players had been diagnosed with chronic traumatic encephalopathy — CTE, a degenerative brain disease caused by repeated head trauma. The findings shook the sport.
The stakes are especially high for the AFLW's founding generation. In 2023, former Adelaide Crows player Heather Anderson became the first female professional athlete in the world diagnosed with CTE. A federal Senate inquiry followed in 2024, recommending stricter return-to-play rules and better post-career insurance for players like Randall who started in the league's semi-professional early years.
Randall's Legacy Lives On in SA Participation Numbers
The numbers tell the story of what Randall built. When the AFLW launched in 2017, just 2,741 women and girls were registered to play Australian rules football in South Australia. That figure now stands at 11,822 — a 331% increase attributed in large part to the visibility Randall and the Crows created, according to the SANFL Annual Report.
Neuroscientist Dr. Alan Pearce called Randall's retirement a "watershed moment." He argued that when the face of the league steps away due to brain health, it removes the stigma for younger players who may have hidden symptoms to keep playing. Randall is widely expected to pursue senior coaching, with some tipping her to become the first woman to coach an AFL men's side.
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