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Bríd Stack’s husband has admitted they went through “a terrifying few hours” when they were unsure of the outcome of the severe neck fracture he sustained in his preseason AFL debut Sunday.
Stack has been released from hospital and is on the long road to recovery, her AFL club in Sydney confirmed. The Cork legend suffered the injury near the end of his debut for the GWS Giants in a practice match at Norwood, outside Adelaide.
The 34-year-old Cork woman was approached by Adelaide’s Ebony Marinoff, who has since been cited by the AFL for the incident.
Paramedics assisted Stack for half an hour before taking her to the hospital. Subsequent scans revealed that Stack has a “stable fracture” of the C7 vertebra, although there are no injuries to the surrounding nerves. It does not require surgery, but will wear a collar for about six weeks, according to a statement from the Giants.
However, she will not cut short her AFL adventure. “He is expected to make a full recovery and will remain in Australia and will be a key part of the team as he recovers from his injury,” added a statement from the club.
However, the fracture of the C7 vertebra will leave her sidelined for a couple of months and will rule her out for much of the Giants’ AFLW campaign, which begins in Perth on January 31.
The Sydney Morning Herald reported that there were fears that Stack may have suffered life-changing damage after Sunday’s horrific incident, his first appearance in the code.
But her husband Carthach Keane confirmed yesterday that Bríd was “awake” and, although still in a lot of pain, was happy to begin the rehabilitation process.
“Bríd has not yet recovered his full strength, but he will get there, that’s the main thing. He was lucky, it could have been a lot worse, but the club (GWS Giants) has been absolutely magnificent. They couldn’t do enough for us, helping us with everything from babysitters to physical therapists and their rehabilitation in the future. They are a fantastic and close-knit club, ”said Keane, a man from Newcestown.
Keane also expressed his gratitude to his wife’s compatriot Cora Staunton, who has been very helpful. “She has been like a second mother for Carthach Óg, she is a dear friend to us.”
Stack was released from the hospital early yesterday to rejoin the Giants team that is based in Adelaide for at least the next two weeks.
Giants director of women’s soccer Bri Harvey said: “This was an incredibly unfortunate accident and we are grateful that Bríd prevented a serious injury.
“Bríd and her family have made incredible sacrifices to come to Australia to play in the AFL women’s competition and we will be supporting them throughout their recovery. We want to thank all those who gave Bríd the best possible care both in the field and in the hospital ”. Recently, the club’s head coach, Alan McConnell, praised Stack’s decision to take a look at the code.
“What an amazing thing for our soccer club, that a young woman is willing not only to move here to play Aussie Rules, but also to bring her 12-month-old son and husband. It’s an incredibly brave thing to do. ”
The Adelaide player involved in the incident, Ebony Marinoff, will face a disciplinary tribunal after conducting a review of the incident.
“Based on available evidence, the incident was assessed as careless contact, severe impact and high contact,” the AFL statement read.
“The incident was classified as a direct referral to Court and (Marinoff) cannot be offered an advance statement.”
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