Geelong Advertiser |
TOM McArlein knows he's dodged a bullet. And with the recent events that left South Barwon footballer Casey Tutungi a quadriplegic, the 27-year-old counts himself lucky that he will overcome a fractured neck.
"Absolutely I do," McArlein said. "Knowing what could have been, that gets me through."
McArlein fractured his C6 vertebra after copping a knock to the head in Geelong Amateurs' six-point loss to Drysdale in the qualifying final.
"I was coming off half-forward and the ball spilt out towards me. I bent over to pick the ball up and I got a knock right on the top of my head," the Ammos forward said. "I've bent over to pick the ball up 500 times and obviously I got hit in the right spot. My hands and arms went a but funny but it honestly didn't concern me too much.
"The players around me, even the Drysdale boys, were really good. They said 'stay there, don't move'.
After a moment I felt fine and I jumped straight up and walked off and in hindsight, knowing what I know now, it wasn't a good thing."
It wasn't until McArlein started cooling down on the bench that he thought there might be an issue.
"I was stiff in the shoulders, neck and across my shoulder blades," he said.
"I'd been sitting on the bench for five minutes or so preparing myself to come back on until this point where I tightened right up.
McArlein was placed in a neck brace and his fiancee Laura drove him to Geelong Hospital.
He thought he had simply jarred his neck.
"As soon as I went in, I was strapped down on the bed and taken into emergency," McArlein said.
"They did the normal tests to see if I had any feeling and then I had all the scans. One of the nurses said there was nothing standing out on the X-ray, but they wanted to err on the side of caution. I had a CT scan and it showed I had a break through my C6 vertebra. That was a bit of a shock because I thought I was OK."
McArlein was transferred to The Alfred in Melbourne where he had a series of scans on his neck, chest and spine and was fitted with a neck brace, which he will wear for at least six weeks.
His season is done, despite the Ammos contesting a preliminary final against Queenscliff on Saturday.
"I haven't really thought about it (football), to be honest," McArlein said.
"I'm obviously disappointed not be be playing, but considering what it could've been ...
"I've got my own business, so there's only things that are more important."
A plumber and gasfitter, McArlein has not ruled out returning to the field.
"I saw the doctor and he said once the break heals I'm OK to play on, but it's not at the forefront of my mind."
