Late rugby great Paul Green revealed he was suffering from a severe form of brain disease linked to head impacts

Queensland football great Paul Green showed no signs of struggling with his mental health before taking his own life on August 11, according to family, friends and colleagues.

“Paul wasn’t depressed, [he] showed no signs of mental health problems, his family was everything to him,” his wife Amanda Green told The Weekend Australian.

Literally a day before his death, they celebrated their son’s 10th birthday — laughing and discussing Green’s future career plans over birthday cake, pizza and a few glasses of wine.

The 49-year-old was found unresponsive at his Wynnum home the next day and died a short time later.

“I came home and found him … that was it,” Ms Green said.

“There were no signs. We often talked about our future and what it looks like. I never doubted that we would spend the rest of our lives together.”

Now, two months after his death, new results from a post-mortem brain scan may reveal why he died.

Green’s brain was donated to the Australian Sports Brain Bank.

Postmortem scan reveals brain disease

Associate Professor Michael Buckland led the examination and handed over the results last week.

The neurologist said he found one of the most severe forms of pure CTE (Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy) he had ever seen.

“Often in the early stages of CTE, some people may be asymptomatic, but most families report that their loved one has anxiety or apathy, impulsivity, explosiveness, aggression, thoughts of self-harm.

“As the disease progresses, it tends to show … difficulties in thinking and planning, as well as difficulties with memory.”

Paul Green played for five rugby league clubs and featured in seven Origin matches during his career before moving into coaching.

But big rugby league existed at a time when the “tough it up, she’ll be right” attitude prevailed, and standing up and continuing to play after a header was applauded.