Brendan Cannon

Brendan Cannon is a happy man today, despite having to give away his professional sporting career for the sake of his health. This stalwart of Australian Rugby is happy to still be able to walk, still have a “future as a good husband and father” and still “consider myself pretty lucky to have had so many amazing experiences.”

Former Wallaby Brendan Cannon was advised by a specialist in mid 2007 that he risked permanent damage to his spinal cord if he continued playing. With this in mind, Brendan was happy to give the game away.

Brendan Cannon was a tough no nonsense style of footballer who earned every one of his 42 test and 106 Super 12/14 caps, often playing with injuries.

When the film Gladiator hit the screens, Brendan’s team mates immediately christened him Maximus – so closely did they think the then Wallaby hooker resembled its star Russell Crowe.

The greatest irony of the hooker’s reputation as a battered warhorse is that none of his significant injuries came while playing on the field. Instead, a near-fatal car accident when he was just 20 was the cause of his ill health. When Brendan Cannon’s Ford Festiva was forced into the path of a semi-trailer, he was left with about 50 stitches in a jagged wound from his forehead through his right eyelid, a fractured hip socket, a badly lacerated elbow and ruptured knee ligaments.

Since his retirement, Brandan has been appointed as Development Manager for property funds management and development Charter Hall.

He has also become a spokesman for Australia’s three footy codes as they put their weight behind White Ribbon Day in the campaign to stop violence against women.

In addition, Brendan works with Fox Sports to cover Rugby Union Test Series.