Footy legend reveals the sliding doors moment that saved his life when he had a horror health scare

Steve Morris has opened up about the terrifying ordeal of his life-threatening stroke.

St George Great, 66, collapsed while having a cup of coffee with family and friends at a Kiama cafe in September and was rushed to Wollongong Hospital.

He was later transferred to Prince of Wales in Sydney, where a blood clot was found near his brain.

Morris is recognized as one of the Dragons' best players and was halfback in the club's 1979 grand final.

But the 66-year-old's life has changed dramatically since his medical episode this year, and he has reflected on a sliding door moment in the back of the ambulance.

“You can be here for one minute… if I was asleep or couldn't get emergency services, it could have been a different story – I could have died,” Morris told News Corp.

'If your brain dies you get all these terrible possibilities, otherwise you die for sure.

“What if I left (the cafe) and drove my car and something happened? You brake and your foot doesn't work. It is what it is – I'm still here, but it was a wake-up call.

'It was strange – I knew I was having a stroke but it wasn't registered, it's hard to explain. I denied it and thought I was doing fine.

'I said: 'I don't need to go to the hospital' because I have never had complaints or heart problems. Actually it was all a surprise.'

Morris received first aid from the cafe owner, Cameron Thomas, before emergency services arrived on the scene.

He remembers the first time he noticed something was wrong.

'I couldn't lift my arm, but there was no pain. I thought that was strange. I dropped my keys. When I picked them up I couldn't get up,” Morris said.

'I started slurring my speech and they said my face was droopy. I knew then that something was wrong.

'I'm fit and I never think something like this could happen. Everyone is surprised, even the surgeons, how well everything turned out. There could have been many different outcomes, but I got the best possible.

'It didn't look so good for a while. I had a stent put in my neck – which stays for life – and they pulled a clot from the back of my brain that was blocking the blood vessels. I'll be on medication for the rest of my life.'

The St George legend is on a long road to full recovery following his medical episode in September

Morris says his road to full recovery is long and slow, but he is making progress.

'I've been very lucky, but I haven't fully recovered yet. It's a slow process. I'm getting there, but physically there's still a way to go. I haven't had a beer in three months, that's what's killing me,” Morris said.

“I'm a little slower on some things, but I'm trying to stay on track.

“I got messages from a lot of people, guys I played with, ex-coaches. I want to thank them for all their support. (Former NRL coach) Allan Fitzgibbon came to hospital.”