Friends hid ute burnout injury that killed footballer, coroner says

A coroner has delivered a scathing assessment of the events leading to the death of young north-west Tasmanian footballer Brady James Hubbard in 2023, labeling his demise "entirely preventable." Coroner Leigh Mackey concluded that a series of "flawed decisions" directly contributed to Hubbard falling from the back of a ute when the driver, Andrew Hilfenhaus, performed a burnout outside the West Ulverstone Football Club (WUFC).

During the inquest, witnesses, including Mr. Hilfenhaus, his son Cameron, and WUFC trainer Anthony Sharman, faced accusations of attempting to cover up the circumstances of Mr. Hubbard's injury. Ms. Mackey was particularly critical of their evidence and their failure to ensure Mr. Hubbard received immediate medical attention. She suggested the Hilfenhaus men might have been motivated by a desire to avoid legal trouble for Andrew, who had been drinking, and to obscure their role in the incident.

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[They] were likely motivated by a desire to obfuscate what had happened to Mr Hubbard and their role in it. This objective would be compromised were he to access medical attention.

Security footage showed Mr. Hubbard socializing at the club before leaving with the Hilfenhaus men to retrieve a pool cue. While returning, Andrew Hilfenhaus performed a burnout, causing Mr. Hubbard to fall and sustain a traumatic head injury. Despite Mr. Sharman, who had first aid training, assessing the player's condition, no ambulance was called. Mr. Hubbard did not seek medical attention until over 24 hours later, by which time his condition had significantly deteriorated, leading to his death.

Ms. Mackey noted that while the evidence pointed to a cover-up, the standard of proof for criminal proceedings is higher than for a coronial finding, and thus no recommendations were made regarding criminal charges. The coroner expressed concern over the "concerning lack of care" shown after the fall, emphasizing that urgent medical intervention was not sought despite the player's visible distress.

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Given [Mr Sharman's] level of knowledge, it is concerning that he did not make any effort to ensure that Mr Hubbard received urgent medical care.