Graham Farmer Biography

The AFL says it is continuing to learn how to best manage concussion and other brain-related trauma after a medical report revealed the late Graham Farmer suffered from chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE).

This is the first time CTE has been detected in an Australian football player, following research in a peer-reviewed scientific journal by Associate Professor Michael Buckland from the Australian Sports Brain Bank.

"I just want to acknowledge and thank the Farmer family and Polly Farmer... for a significant action in donating his brain and (for) the learnings that we'll get from that and the medical fraternity will get from that," AFL CEO Gillon McLachlan said.

"Clearly, it's about prevention, diagnosis and about research, and we'll continue to learn.

"The health and safety of our players is paramount and we'll continue to work with the medical fraternity and the experts in all those three areas to make sure our game is safe at all times."

Graham Farmer is farewelled during a celebration of the Australian football great's remarkable life at a moving state funeral held at Optus Stadium.

More than 1000 mourners attended the Monday morning service overlooking Perth's Swan River, near to the freeway and 'Polly Pipe' tunnel named in his honour.

"Everyone that had Polly in their team was proud to have him," master of ceremonies Russell Woolf said.

"We are happy to share Polly. Who (else) has the power to bring rivals together in that way?"

Graham Farmer, arguably the game's greatest ruckman, has died at the age of 84.

"Beyond football, as a proud Noongar man, he was a leader for the Aboriginal community and his standing in the game and in society enabled his people to believe that they too could reach the peaks and achieve their best potential," AFL CEO Gillon McLachlan said.

"He laid the path for so many great footballers from Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities to come into the elite levels of the game and showcase their skills.

"At every point of his career, his teams found success on the field, thanks largely to his dominance that built a record that few players could ever hope to match."