John Barnes suffers from crippling memory loss, mood swings and epilepsy — symptoms that he believes are a direct result of head knocks during an AFL career spanning 15 seasons.

Key points: John Barnes retired in 2001 after a 15-year career playing for Essendon and Geelong. His epilepsy came on in 2012

John Barnes retired in 2001 after a 15-year career playing for Essendon and Geelong. His epilepsy came on in 2012 Barnes is now one of up to 100 former players involved in a planned class action against the AFL

Barnes is now one of up to 100 former players involved in a planned class action against the AFL But NRL player James Graham says: "Just go and play Oztag if you don't fancy" contact football

"It's terrible. I can't shower or bath on my own, I can't cook, I can't drive a car, I can't be left alone. I have to be watched pretty much 24/7 — all the things people take for granted I just can't do," said the 49-year-old retired ruckman.

Barnes, who played 202 matches for Geelong and Essendon, said he was a shell of his former self and found himself dazed and confused after unexplained outbursts of rage.

"My temper's pretty short at the moment. The things I find myself doing, I don't really know why I am doing them to be honest. It's terrible … and gets worse by the day," Barnes said.

Barnes says he now suffers from memory loss, mood swings and epilepsy after repeated head knocks. ( ABC TV )

Barnes suffered his first epileptic seizure in 2012.

"Coming back from the country races, and my best mate thought I was dead. We were just talking, and I just … started frothing at the mouth, and he took me straight to hospital, but I thought I'd gone," he said.

Barnes is heading a planned class action against the AFL that he says more than 100 footballers have joined.

"At the moment what they [the AFL] are doing is not working. How they've been able to get away with that for so long is what we are about — hockey and cricket offer workers' compensation," he said.

His medications alone cost hundreds of dollars a month and he had to give up his job driving a garbage truck, which he said he enjoyed.

"Jobs are hard to get once they find out you're epileptic — they don't want to know you," Barnes said.

"Compensation for things like that, you look at quality of life, which everyone else has got, which I haven't got."

John Barnes played a physical style of football and had the occasional visit to the AFL Tribunal. ( AAP: Julian Smith )

Barnes said the AFL had its head in the sand on the issue and he was happy to take the organisation to court.

"It's getting pretty close to the numbers that we want; it could be happening pretty quickly, could be four weeks' time to lodge it — we are ready to go," Barnes said.

Some current sportsmen believed concussions were simply part and parcel of playing a contact sport.

"It's my life, I'll do what I want to — well within certain bounds — but what's the alternative? I kinda like what I am doing. [The] consequence of that sometimes is you get hit on the head," said NRL prop James Graham, who plays for the St George Illawarra Dragons.

"Just go and play Oztag if you don't fancy playing league anymore, but I wouldn't get paid and probably wouldn't have as much fun anymore."

Neuroscientist calls for more action from all football codes

Neuroscientist Alan Pearce said he was not surprised former footballers were presenting with epilepsy.

"There's evidence to show the risk of a number of different conditions including epilepsy can occur as a result of a history of head trauma and concussions," said Dr Pearce, an associate professor at La Trobe University.

Dr Pearce said many athletes and former athletes came to his research laboratory showing signs of epilepsy.

The AFL needs longer rest periods for concussed players, neuroscientist Alan Pearce says. ( AAP: Julian Smith )

"Repeated concussions or even repeated sub-concussive hits can manifest itself over decades — someone who you wouldn't think would get epilepsy or seizures then starts to show uncharacteristic signs of brain seizures," he said.

Dr Pearce said he backed calls for more action on the issue from all sporting codes.

"While we can't stop the chance of someone being concussed, what we really need to do is more research into the outcomes and how people respond and recover," he said.

Dr Pearce said longer rest periods should be introduced, and cultural change was needed.

"We need to change the culture so people are not going to say, 'I am fine, I need to go back and play, I don't want to let my team mates down' — to allow them to have healthy playing careers as well as quality of life after they retire," he said.