American sports fans go into meltdown over viral photo of AFL star Gary Rohan training with a gruesome head injury
- Photo by Gary Rohan leaves American social media users in disbelief
- Rohan recently fractured his skull after sustaining an elbow injury
- Footballer trains again with visible staples in his head
A photo of AFL Premier League forward Gary Rohan training with a horrific scar just a week after undergoing surgery on his skull has left US sports fans in a frenzy.
Rohan was at Geelong’s run on Monday to do some light work as his teammates prepare for Saturday’s preliminary final against Brisbane at the MCG.
The 33-year-old player, who is unlikely to play again this year, was left with a large scar on his head with 30 visible staples.
The Cats veteran was accidentally elbowed in the head in the first quarter of Geelong’s semi-final defeat to Southport just over a week ago.
Although he did not need any help to get to the locker rooms, he was taken to hospital for further examination, where scans confirmed the worst.
He later shared a heartfelt update and a photo of himself lying in a hospital bed being comforted by his wife Madi.
Meanwhile, American sports network ESPN shared images on social media showing Rohan training with staples in his head. Fans couldn’t believe their eyes.
“Bro shouldn’t be on the field,” one bewildered Instagram user responded.
Photos of Gary Rohan (pictured) showing off his shocking head scar during training have sent US sports fans into a frenzy
Rohan made a surprise appearance with his teammates on Monday after undergoing surgery on his fractured skull – and showed off the gruesome aftermath of the operation
“Those Aussie Rules boys are on a whole other level of toughness and craziness,” one person wrote.
“NBA players would have been six feet under,” said another.
“This is why women outlive us,” posted a fourth.
“Get him off the field,” said another.
“Are that guy’s elbows made of knives?” asked another, referring to the player who injured Rohan.
Many American fans also compared the Cats star to NFL star Tua Tagovailoa in their reactions.
Tagovailoa will miss at least the next four NFL games after suffering his fourth concussion during Miami’s 31-10 loss to Buffalo last weekend.
Another commentator compared NBA superstar LeBron James to Rohan, finding the American lacking.
“Lebron is here struggling because someone hit him in the head and this warrior is here with a fractured skull,” they wrote.
It was another frightening moment for a quarterback who has a long history of head injuries that led many to call for his retirement at age 26.
Meanwhile, Rohan has been cleared to play again once his concussion symptoms resolve.
Rohan posted a photo from hospital with his wife Madi (pictured) as they awaited surgery after she suffered a horrific injury during a VFL match
He had planned a comeback for the Cats senior team, who secured a place in the AFL preliminary round and are now just one win away from the grand final.
‘T“The medical staff assure us the fracture and the surgery itself looks a lot worse than it actually is,” Geelong coach Chris Scott said on Channel 7’s Talking Footy program.
“The concussion is the biggest concern. So he’s ruled out for this week, but he’s gone through the protocols really well, I’m told.
“The post says he’s available.”
Rohan has split his season between the senior team and the VFL reserves team this year. His last senior appearance this year came in a 12th appearance in a round 23 loss to St Kilda.