The brain of late NRL player Paul Green will be donated to science with his wife, Amanda Green, confirming the family's decision to support research at the Australian Sports Brain Bank.
"He had a wonderful and enquiring mind, and he never backed away from asking the hard questions," Ms Green said.
"We hope this donation will help us understand more about brain health and mental health and save lives in the future."
The former State of Origin coach and rugby league star died by suicide last week, sending shock waves through the sporting community.
The Australian Sports Brain Bank researches Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy (CTE), a brain condition caused by repetitive head injury, often observed in sports players.
Researchers are still trying to understand the neurological disease, which can only be definitively diagnosed by an examination of the brain after death.
In 2021, the Victorian coroner urged sports players to consider donating their brains to CTE research, after AFL great Danny Frawley was found to have been suffering the disease when he died.
Director of the Australian Sports Brain Bank and Clinical Associate Professor Michael Buckland said in a statement the family's decision to donate Green's brain would support critical CTE research.
"This is an incredibly generous donation and will be an invaluable part of our research into the long-term effects of repetitive head impacts in sport and elsewhere," he said.
"We at the Australian Sports Brain Bank are blown away by the fact that in their time of grief, Amanda and the rest of the family thought of how they could help others," Associate Professor Buckland said.
Green's sister, Lisa Miller said the donation would be part of his legacy.
"Paul was known for always looking out for others," she said.
"We are proud that part of his legacy will be looking out for the brain health of others — past, present and future — involved in the game that he loved," Ms Miller said.
Green's family is asking for donations to the Australian Sports Brain Bank and is aiming to raise $150,000 to support its research.
