The likes of Shane Tuck and Polly Farmer were also diagnosed with CTE after death, as well as AFLW premiership winner Heather Anderson.
James Stewart told the Herald Sun: “We are very sad to finally receive the specialist medical report from the ASBB confirming that Craig had CTE.
“However, it does give us a better understanding of his deteriorating health and behaviour over the past few years.
“CTE is a devastating illness but a preventable one.
“Our hearts go out to all families affected by this preventable disease.’’
Stewart’s manager Peter Jess added he had observed changes in the “mood and behavioural patterns” of his friend over the past 15 years.
“I watched a once great proud man disintegrate in front of me and his family,” Jess said.
Jess also revealed that Stewart had helped raise funding for early clinical studies of Dr Alan Pearce, one of Australia’s leading concussion scientists, from 2011.
“It’s no longer an if or a maybe, it’s a reality that continuous head trauma creates untold damage to the brain,” Jess said.
“What we’ve created is a whole concept of a ‘walking dead’ or at least a ticking time bomb on the back of repeated dysfunctional behaviour, which has an enormous cost to society.
“The AFL has been made aware in the past 10 to 15 years the wives and families have no support mechanisms in place when their partners are impacted by brain damage from playing AFL.”
Stewart had an immediate impact in the AFL after walking into Collingwood’s 1978 team and impressing coach Tom Hafey.
He was awarded the best first year player title after managing 21 games in his debut season.
