Heartbreaking blow for Geelong Cats AFL premiership star Gary Rohan
AFL Premier Gary Rohan’s career is in jeopardy after he was rushed to hospital with a fractured skull that requires surgery.
Rohan left the field to undergo a check-up on his head injury after he recoiled from an unintentional elbow in the first quarter of Geelong’s VFL semi-final against Southport on Saturday.
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.
The 33-year-old has since shared a heartbreaking update and a photo of himself lying in a hospital bed being comforted by his wife Madi.
“Not where I planned my weekend,” the father of three captioned the post.
‘Scans have shown I have a fractured skull, but I’m doing well and I’m in the best hands.
‘Now we just have to wait for the operation. Thanks for all the messages and good wishes.’
The injury has ended Rohan’s season and he may enter the off-season as a free agent without a contract.
Veteran Geelong forward Gary Rohan (pictured with wife Madi Rohan) is in hospital awaiting treatment for a fractured skull suffered during a VFL match on Saturday.
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.
Since then, Rohan has been inundated with messages from former teammates, opponents and fans.
“Get well brother, send me healing vibes,” Australian country singer Troy Cassar Daley said.
Home and Away star Lynne McGranger wrote: ‘Get well soon Gary!’
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.
The former speedster made his debut for the Sydney Swans in 2010 and has since played 204 AFL games.
In 2012 he missed out on the championship title with the Swans after suffering a horrific season-ending leg injury in the opening minutes of Round 4.
Sydney lost the next two major finals with Rohan in the squad, in both 2014 and 2016.
In 2022, he finally won the championship title with the Cats against his old club, four years after his transfer.
Rohan was accidentally hit in the face with an elbow in the first quarter of the Cats’ VFL semi-final defeat as he attempted to return to the senior team for the AFL finals.
Rohan took to the field in the VFL on Saturday alongside senior Cats stars Tom Hawkins, Cam Guthrie and Sam De Koning, who are all also battling to return to the Cats first team.
Hawkins, who will retire at the end of this season, was inaccurate at 1.3 on his return from a foot injury and his first VFL appearance since 2011.
Hawkins was the team’s top scorer for 11 seasons between 2012 and 2022 and won the Coleman Medal for the league’s top scorer in 2020.
Midfielder Guthrie, 32, has been struggling with injuries and has played just four AFL games this season, compared to just six the previous season.