Workers’ compensation will not be available to Victorian footballers while training or playing football, despite a recent court ruling.

Adrian Whitehead, a former player for the AFL’s Carlton Football Club in Melbourne, sought compensation in the Victorian Supreme Court for injuries he sustained during a game against Geelong in 1997.

The Victorian Supreme Court based its decision on the law in force at the time, which provided that employers such as Carlton could be held responsible for compensating a player for injuries.

The laws were amended in 1997 to remove this responsibility as it relates to sportspeople.

Commenting on the case, Sportcover MD Peter Nash told Sunrise Exchange News the decision in favour of Mr Whitehead “opens a Pandora’s box for sports insurance. This means that AFL footballers will be under the same occupational health and safety considerations as any other profession.

“It’s a watershed and it raises a whole host of issues in terms of professional sport. It’s probably not before time that athletes received this recognition.”