A young regional footballer injured during a match in western Victoria on Saturday is “alert” and recovering in a Melbourne hospital, according to his club.
The player was injured during an under-17s match between Southern Mallee Thunder and the Horsham Saints in the town of Jeparit, with emergency services called just after midday.
The teenager was flown to the Royal Melbourne Hospital with upper body injuries, and his condition has been listed as stable.
Ambulance Victoria said a specialist air ambulance crew, Mobile Intensive Care Ambulance (MICA) and two life support road crews were involved in assessing and treating the young man.
Horsham Saints Football Club president Sally Ison posted on social media last night that the player was “now alert and has full feeling back” and that he was reportedly “being looked after extremely well”.
Ms Ison thanked volunteer medical staff, paramedics and those who stepped in to help from both teams.
“It shows in the country it doesn’t matter which side you are on you jump in and help without hesitation,” she said.
The Wimmera Football Netball League’s deputy chairman Bart Turgoose also released a statement, thanking those who helped the young player.
“Our thoughts are with the U17s player, and his family and friends, who have been impacted by this,” he said.
The incident comes a week after the tragic death of suburban footballer Nathan Fitzgerald, who died in hospital after he sustained serious head injuries during a match at Epping.
