The Standard | EAST Warrnambool stalwart Ben Gray remains in high spirits despite fracturing an eye socket and breaking his jaw in two places against Nirranda.
The 200-game veteran came off second-best from a friendly-fire incident with teammate Jayson Millet during the second term at Reid Oval on Saturday.
An ambulance took him to Warrnambool Base Hospital. He was later transferred to Geelong and then Melbourne, where he underwent surgery yesterday.
Bombers coach Paul Butters said the club used its post-match get-together to raise money for Gray, among the most well-regarded figures at the club.
“He’s pretty positive. I haven’t spoken to him yet but he’s messaged. The club is rallying around him,” he said.
“We put the hat around and tried to raise some funds for him.
“It’s a hard time for him, he’s been an unbelievably good servant of the club.
“We said to the playing group yesterday you turn up and he’s there manning the gate. Then when he’s finished that, he’s helping pack the bar for the booth.
“He’s one of those blokes who is always willing to do something for the club. It’s our turn to repay the favour.”
Butters said the incident happened midway through the term, when Gray charged forward to take a mark at the Bombers’ defensive 50.
Millet, who also had eyes only for the ball, came in from the side and the pair collided.
Millet emerged with a cut above an eye and went off under the blood rule.
“I’d assume (Gray) is unlikely to play again this year. He was leaning towards this could’ve been his last year as well,” Butters said. “We’ll let him make a decision on that. He’s finding it harder and harder, I suppose, to get up each week.”
Nirranda led by “two or three goals” at the time and kicked 13.10 to 1.1 after half-time to win 19.19 (133) to 3.2 (20).
Peter McDowall and Chris Haberfield kicked three goals each for the Blues. Defender Bronte McCann and wingmen Josh Irving and Dylan Willsher were their best.
Millet, his brother Jayden, Chris Edwards and Blake Rudland-Castles led the way for the Bombers.
“The first half was pretty good, our competitiveness and ball movement. But it was a similar story, we dropped off pretty bad,” Butters said.
Nirranda coach Aidan Cole said the break in play for the ambulance marked the turning point of the match.
He said the Blues “struggled to get our game going” early but lifted the longer the contest went on. “Our boys really had a crack.”
“We were a bit hesitant to give that first option (in the first half). When we realised we should’ve gone with that, the option was gone,” he said.
“Once we started giving it straight away, we found ourselves in a lot more space with room to move. We broke the game open a fair bit.”
