Herald Sun | A COUNTRY footballer spent 40 minutes bleeding and ­convulsing on a football oval after allegedly receiving a punch to the back of his head during a match.

The game between Boisdale-Briagolong and Wy Yung near Bairnsdale in Victoria’s east was abandoned after the incident, which occurred in the first quarter of Saturday’s match.

Ambulance Victoria told the Herald Sun that Boisdale-Briagolong player Jacob Weatherley was treated on site and then rushed to Sale ­hospital in a stable condition.

Weatherley was later discharged and is recovering at home. Further tests will be conducted later in the week.

AFL Gippsland’s region general manager Travis Switzer said: “The league knows that Jacob will have more tests this week on his brain and is still very concerned about his health and wellbeing”.

Mr Switzer said that the charge was for intentionally striking and that the league has been in touch with the player.

The East Gippsland Football League is investigating the incident, with the player allegedly responsible for the hit to face a tribunal tomorrow night.

“Our league is taking the incident very seriously. We don’t want any sort of intentional striking in the game and we may need to offer some more education options to our clubs”.

Wy Yung club President, Peter Johnston said the incident was “an accidental bump to the head from the knee”, but said the player would be offering an unreserved apology.

Club representatives are counselling the player, he said.

Boisdale-Briagolong president Mark Landy declined to comment.

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