Geelong has been identified as the AFL club at the centre of a secret agreement with a current player aimed at protecting against possible future legal action over brain injuries.

First reported by Code Sports, the arrangement involved a Geelong player signing a letter accepting responsibility for any brain injuries he might suffer in future. In doing so, he acknowledged he would continue playing despite a heightened risk of potentially significant long-term or permanent neurological damage.

The player has not been named, but the report said he had already suffered multiple head knocks during his career. It is understood the agreement was reached two years ago, with the player said to have accepted it in a desperate bid to keep his career alive. Geelong was also trying to help him continue playing while protecting the club and its medical staff from possible legal consequences later.

Herald Sun chief football writer and Fox Footy commentator Jay Clark said on Thursday that players across the league believed the deal set a “dangerous example”.

“A Victorian club has signed a secret deal with one of its players, which required them to accept all legal risks of any further head trauma they suffered on the field,” Clark said in a video posted to CODE Sports.

“This is a current-day player – who has suffered multiple concussions – who signed an agreement, which said they take it upon themselves – the physical and legal risk of loss, damage or injury arising from anymore brain injuries.

“Incredibly, this is a major worry for AFL players because it sets a dangerous example for others to essentially wave their legal rights on head trauma.”

Clark also said the club initially denied the signed contract existed or could not recall it, before the issue became clear and “that is when the crisis meetings began.”

Geelong later acknowledged the letter, saying the club “acknowledges that the letter signed with one of its players went further than was intended and recognises the absence of the AFLPA in the process”.

The Cats said they “will remove the waiver outlined in the letter, noting that the player continues to acknowledge potential risks”.

“At the time, the Club was involved in extensive discussions with a player, their family and representative in relation to that player’s concussion history,” Geelong’s statement continued. “Those discussions, including medical advice from the Club’s Chief Medical Officer and the AFL Concussion Panel, were documented in the letter, signed by the player. No direction was given requiring the player to medically retire.

“The Club was not attempting to vary the terms of the AFL standard playing contract, or attempting to avoid its responsibilities under health and safety laws.”

In a joint statement on Thursday, the AFL and AFL Players Association said they were “aware of a complex and unique case in which a Geelong player was cleared as fit to play following an assessment by an AFL Concussion Panel”.

“The player then signed a letter acknowledging the potential risk and sought to waive some potential future legal rights, which was not lodged with or approved by the AFL or the AFLPA,” the statement said.

“Geelong has advised the AFL today that the waiver in the letter will be removed, noting that the player continues to acknowledge potential risks.

“The AFL is satisfied that the letter was not used by Geelong to allow a medically unfit player to return to play.”

The two bodies said clubs would now be told that any proposal affecting a player’s legal rights and protections must be notified to and approved by both the AFL and AFLPA, adding they were aligned that no arrangements would be approved if they sought to place the risk solely on players.

SEN journalist Sam Edmund reported that the AFL Players’ Association was “completely unaware” of the agreement until it was informed last week.

Concussion campaigner and player manager Peter Jess told SEN his “initial reaction is one of total disbelief how a public company can behave in this manner to its most valuable commodity, which is the players.

“It’s just unbelievable that they’re not thinking about making sure that these guys have got a safe workplace.”

The fallout quickly spread through the football world. Kangaroos great David King said on Kayo Sports that the situation demanded a full explanation.

“My immediate reaction is if there’s nothing to hide, step us through what happened,” King said.

“If there’s nothing to hide, step every club through it. Step the fans through it.”

Herald Sun journalist Jon Ralph said the letter was never likely to stand up legally.

“It’s inexplicable because this was never going to be a legally enforceable document,” Ralph said.

Fox Footy host Sarah Jones said there should be consequences.

“So, if clubs aren’t allowed to do this anymore then surely it’s not right, so there needs to be some kind of penalty,” Jones said.

Jason Dunstall said the circumstances suggested the player’s concussion history may have influenced contract talks.

“This, to me, suggests that the player might have a history of it, and in order to get a longer contract, he said, ‘Well, I’ll waive some rights about going down the legal path should I suffer more concussions.

“So maybe it was an inducement to allow the club to give him a longer contract because we know clubs are a little bit more sensitive now, particularly around length of contracts for players that have suffered concussions.”