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7News Spotlight: Sept 18

Former Rabbitohs captain Mario Fenech reveals he has early onset dementia.

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This Sunday on 7News Spotlight former Rabbitohs captain Mario Fenech reveals to Michael Usher he has early onset dementia.

The NRL legend believes this was caused by the numerous concussions and head knocks he suffered during his football career.

The 60-year-old’s irreversible condition has now deteriorated to the point where he has virtually no memory left, and it won’t be long before he needs full-time care.

In a confronting interview, Mario is joined by his wife Rebecca, who for the first time speaks out about the diagnosis she calls the “silent, lonely killer”, describing how she and their children, Bonnie and Joe, are coping with the loss of the old Mario.

Also supporting Mario is his best friend of more than 30 years, former world champion boxer Jeff Fenech. Heartbroken by Mario’s decline, in a cruel twist Jeff faces his own battle with concussion trauma following years of punishing blows in the ring.

Neurologist Dr Rowena Mobbs, who leads the team of doctors caring for Jeff and Mario’s brain health, reveals how she is working on ways to safeguard future players from the damaging impact of contact sport.

The Fenech family hopes that by going public for the first time with their alarming revelations, they too can help protect future generations of sports-loving families from the long-term repercussions of head injuries.

7.00pm Sunday on Seven (after the 2022 Charles Brownlow Medal Count in VIC/SA/WA).

Dementia Australia

7 Responses

  2. Extremely sorry to hear about the sad news about Mario Fenech’s onset dementia. The main problem in contact sports is that there have been a lot of head knocks in various contact sports. Recently, we lost former NRL coach, Paul Green. His family had donated his brain to Australia Sports Brain Research.

  3. My father was a big footy fan, he was a contracts manager for the state electric board and had dealings with greats like Wally Lewis, Gene Miles, Greg Dowling, Colin Scott who played for Wynnum Manly Seagulls before the Bronos where even formed he never missed them play but worried about head knocks with all players greats or not because he saw a lot of players suffer them, players very rarely used headgear back then and he also played himself, he died 3 years ago at 102 years. He would be very upset at this revelation so on behalf of my father and myself I wish Mario and his family strength, courage and all the best to help them deal with this cruel disease.

  5. What’s happened to the Michael Jackson one that wasn’t on last weerk? They were showing promos all week then didn’t have it on. I thought it would be on this week.

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