AFL star rushed to hospital
Geelong captain Patrick Dangerfield played out the Cats’ 38-point loss to Port Adelaide on June 15 with a partially collapsed lung and a cracked rib after being hit from behind.
The star midfielder wasn’t taken to hospital until after the game, despite the nasty blow to his lower back region following a collision with Dan Houston in the second quarter of the game.
The club confirmed later that night that he had been taken to a hospital in Adelaide “as a precaution for further assessment”.
According to the ABC, Dangerfield was taken in an ambulance.
The following day the Cats confirmed he had suffered internal injuries.
In a statement, the club said, “Dangerfield was taken to hospital after the game where he underwent further assessment and scans, he returned to the team hotel on Thursday night and will return to Melbourne on Friday by car.
“The Cats medical team will continue to monitor Dangerfield to determine a return to play timeline.”
SEN’s Sam Edmund took to Twitter to note the football club also had concerns about the star player’s kidneys.
Coach Chris Scott wasn’t able to provide much information on Dangerfield’s injury.
“He got that knock and he just progressively seized up more and more to the point where, he’s a warrior, but it looked to us like he couldn’t move,” Scott said.
“He said that he wanted to keep trying, but it was clear he just couldn’t have an impact on the game from pretty early in the second quarter.
“Our medical staff are brilliant and they will be providing the best care possible.
“I could say that it’s a back spasm or something like that, but the honest answer is ‘I don’t know’.”
The night of the incident was Dangerfield’s first game back after a hamstring injury suffered from old side Adelaide at GMHBA Stadium in round 8.
Cats’ midfielder Tanner Bruhn also suffered from the game as he was subbed out after half-time with a shoulder injury.
Image credit: Getty