Uncle tells court football club 'covered up' how his nephew Brady James Hubbard received his fatal injuries

Members of a north-west Tasmanian football club have been accused of "covering up" how a 21-year-old player was fatally injured two years ago, a court has heard.

Brady James Hubbard died on June 28, 2023 at the Royal Hobart Hospital after being seriously injured on Saturday, June 24, the day of a West Ulverstone Football Club game.

At the time, Tasmania Police said it was investigating if Mr Hubbard had suffered a serious head injury after falling from the back of a ute near the football club that night.

An inquest into Mr Hubbard's death, before Coroner Leigh Mackey, started on Tuesday at the Devonport Magistrates Court.

The coronial inquest started on Tuesday at the Devonport Magistrates Court. (ABC News: Monte Bovill)

Hubbard played 'one of the best matches' coach had seen

Counsel assisting the coroner, Anna Hogan, told the court during opening remarks that there were "inconsistencies" in witness accounts of the incident that caused Mr Hubbard's injuries.

Ms Hogan said it had been suggested Mr Hubbard had slipped and hit his head outside the football club, that he had been play wrestling with a teammate, that he might have got into a fight elsewhere, or that he had been injured during that day's game.

Witnesses told the court on Tuesday that Mr Hubbard had played football for the West Ulverstone Lions on the day of the incident.

Coach Nathan Murison said Mr Hubbard played "one of the best matches" he had seen him play, and that he "gave 110 per cent" throughout the entirety of the game.

Nathan Murison told the court Mr Hubbard played well in what was his final game. (Facebook: West Ulverstone Football Club's Legends, Champions, Old & Ex Players)

Bianca Dykstra, who was also working for the club during the game, said Mr Hubbard was off the field for five minutes as he had taken a "hit" to the back, but did not appear seriously injured.

They agreed that Mr Hubbard had stayed at the club after the game, socialising and drinking with other players and club staff.

Different stories emerge

Ms Dykstra said she was bartending at the club on the night and served Mr Hubbard several drinks, which was normal for a Saturday evening after a game.

When asked about Mr Hubbard's drinking, club senior captain Hayden Thompson said he was "good at it".

"He could drink a lot and handle himself well," Mr Thompson said.

"I never really saw a point where he was falling over himself or jumping on people or doing something that was too dangerous."

Following Mr Hubbard's death, Hayden Thompson posted an image tribute to Facebook with the caption: "My tag team partner forever. I love you Pudd." (Facebook: Hayden Thompson)

Mr Thompson said that in the days and weeks after Mr Hubbard's injury, different stories about what had occurred were swirling among club members.

"More people were trying to get to the bottom of it, I think," he said.

"They were trying to dig their way through and understand what actually happened."

Witnesses told the court Mr Hubbard left at one point with two other men to get a cue for the club's pool table, which is when he suffered the injuries.

Ms Dykstra said she heard he had slipped and hit his head, while Kayla Wylie said she was told Mr Hubbard had fallen from a ute, but she was not sure if it was moving at the time.

Both women said they offered him pain relief, but that he appeared to be his usual bubbly self, apart from being tired and having "a bit of a headache".

The West Ulverstone Football Club printed shorts in memory of late team members Brady Hubbard and Nick Thompson. (Facebook: West Ulverstone Community Sports Club)

'They covered it up': Uncle

The court heard Mr Hubbard's condition deteriorated in the days after the incident, and that he sought medical treatment before being airlifted to the Royal Hobart Hospital, where he died.

His uncle Clayton Hodgetts said he was in Hobart on the night of the incident but began calling people at the club in the days surrounding his nephew's death.

He said he was given varying accounts of what had happened, and that it became clear to him he was being lied to.

"Then I knew someone wasn't telling the truth," he told the court.

"The whole footy club wasn't telling the truth. There was coaches there … I wondered why no one had rung an ambulance."

Clayton Hodgetts said he was given varying accounts of what happened to Mr Hubbard. (ABC News: Sandy Powell)

When Ms Hogan asked how he knew an ambulance had not been called, Mr Hodgetts said he spoke to someone who "wanted to [call triple-0] … but she was told not to".

He said he became angry with a club member on the final time they spoke on the phone.

"I don't reckon I was very nice," he said.

" They covered it up. They covered everything up. Not one person there did the right thing. "

Mr Hodgetts said he reported his concerns to police.

The inquest continues.

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