commonwealth of australia The great radio presenter Brendan Fevola has spoken out for the first time about the painful health scare that halted his career, revealing that he was struck by shingles at the height of his footballing career.

Fevola, who is known for his toughness and fearless style on the field, says the virus has caused him a level of pain he can’t overcome.

“The pain was excruciating,” he told 7NEWS in an exclusive interview.

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“I think I’ve had about 22 surgeries. I’ve had my knees, my Achilles, my shoulders, my fingers, and this is probably one of the worst pains I’ve ever felt.”

This condition sidelined Fevola during the preseason.

“It kept me from training, I couldn’t do any weight training, and obviously, being a soccer player, it took away my ability to work,” he said.

Shingles is caused by the varicella zoster virus, the same virus that causes chickenpox.

After recovering from chickenpox, the virus can remain dormant in the body for decades before reactivating.

It then travels along the nerves to the skin, often causing severe nerve pain before a blistering rash appears.

Last year, Fevola’s father, Angelo, also experienced shingles while being treated for rheumatoid arthritis, a chronic disease that weakens the immune system.

“At first I had what looked like a small scab on my back, but I didn’t pay attention to it and just put cream on it,” Angelo said.

“After a few days, the scab started to get bigger and bigger. I went to the pharmacy to have it looked at, but they said I should go to my GP right away.

“I went to my GP straight away and he saw me right away. And he said point-blank, you have shingles. I told him point-blank, “What is shingles?”

He said he would be debilitated by the pain.

“It was shocking. I was glued to the bed, I was glued to the sheets… it wasn’t right,” Angelo said.

“If I had known earlier, I could have taken action sooner, but I didn’t.”

Health experts say early treatment is key.

Professor Tony Cunningham, Australia’s leading doctor in the field, told 7NEWS that once the rash appears, there is only a short period of time for the drug to start working.

“If a rash appears, you should seek immediate medical attention because antiviral drugs such as Valtrex and Famvir take about three days to take effect, and the rash and pain actually stop within 24 to 48 hours,” he said.

“It will still take about a week for the rash to heal.”

He warns that the long-term effects can be equally debilitating, especially for people over 50 and those with chronic health conditions.

One serious complication is ongoing nerve pain that persists for months or even years after the rash has subsided.

“Complications of shingles are serious, with 12% of people over 50 suffering from long-term pain,” Professor Cunningham said.

“This can cause depression and put people in hospital or into aged care.”

Professor Cunningham said the free vaccination offered strong protection for people aged 65 and over.

“Going forward, I think it is very important that we increase uptake of the shingles vaccine Shingrix in the Australian population from 40% to 95%,” he said.

The Fevolas are now ambassadors for Shingles Action Week 2026, sharing their story to encourage Australians to understand the risks and seek advice early.

For Brendan, seeing his father suffer reinforced the importance of speaking out.

“It’s not okay to watch your loved ones go through horrible pain that could have been prevented,” the two-time Coleman medalist said.

Angelo said the experience was overwhelming.

“It brings me to tears,” he said.

Watch the interview with Brendan Fevola and his father, Angelo, on 7NEWS at 6 p.m.

Shingles affects hundreds of thousands of Australians, and the risk increases significantly with age. Health authorities are urging people over 50 and those with underlying health conditions to be aware of early symptoms, such as tingling, burning or stinging on one side of the body, and to seek immediate medical attention if a rash develops.

More information about Shingles Action Week 2026 can be found at knowingles.com.au.