Beloved comedian Dave “Hughesy” Hughes has made his grand return to public life after a week that involved five broken ribs, a punctured lung and – naturally – an after-party that went until 2am.
The 54-year-old funnyman was injured during the AFL Legends Match for Prostate Cancer at Marvel Stadium, proving once and for all that while laughter may be the best medicine, it does nothing to protect against a full-body crunching tackle.
Rushed into intensive care, Hughesy later posted a wheelchair selfie before appearing on Channel Seven’s The Front Bar. Asked how he was going, Hughesy snapped back: “How do you think I’m going, mate?!” – the sort of quick-fire response you can only deliver when you’re heavily medicated and sitting on a cushion.
Doctors have banned him from flying, forcing him to reschedule dates on his national comedy tour. “Apparently, punctured lungs and pressurised cabins don’t mix,” Hughesy sighed from a sauna, where he was “sweating out the pain”. Fans in Caloundra, Coogee, and Sydney will have to wait until November – but Torquay locals can still expect their dose of bruised-up banter.
Despite fearing he “might die” from his injuries, Hughesy stayed at the post-match party until the wee hours before wife Holly finally bundled him off to hospital at 5am. If commitment to the bit is a medical condition, Hughesy may need treatment for that too.
Now out of hospital and rolling around in a wheelchair, Hughesy says he loved playing alongside AFL royalty like Gary Ablett Jnr and Andrew McLeod – even if it nearly killed him.
And in true Hughesy fashion, he’s already spinning pain into punchlines. Because if you can’t laugh at five broken ribs, what can you laugh at?
Images: Instagram
