AFL Premiership forward Gary Rohan’s career is in serious doubt after he was rushed to hospital with a fractured skull requiring surgery.
Rohan left the field to undergo an assessment on a head injury after being accidentally hit by an errant elbow during the first quarter of Geelong’s VFL semi-final loss to Southport on Saturday.
Despite not needing any help to get to the changing rooms, he was taken to hospital for further assessment, 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 had planned to spend my weekend,” the father of three captioned the post.
‘Scans have confirmed a skull fracture, but I am fine and in the best of hands.
“Now we just have to wait for the operation. Thank you for all the messages and good wishes.”
The injury has ended Rohan’s season and potentially his career as he enters the offseason as an unsigned free agent.
Veteran Geelong forward Gary Rohan (pictured with wife Madi Rohan) is in hospital awaiting treatment after suffering a fractured skull during a VFL match on Saturday.
He had been planning a return to the Cats senior team, which booked its place in an AFL preliminary final and is now one win away from the grand final.
Since then, Rohan has received a flood of messages from former teammates, opponents and fans.
“Get well bro,” said Australian country singer Troy Cassar Daley, “sending good vibes to yourselves, mate.”
Home and Away star Lynne McGranger wrote: ‘Get well soon Gary!’
Rohan has split his season between the senior side and the VFL reserves team this year, last making his 12th senior appearance of the year in a Round 23 loss to St Kilda.
The former speedster made his debut for the Sydney Swans in 2010 and has made 204 AFL appearances since then.
He missed out on a premiership medal in 2012 with the Swans after suffering a horrific season-ending leg injury in the opening minutes of round four.
Sydney lost their next two Grand Finals with Rohan in the line-up in both 2014 and 2016.
He finally won a championship with the Cats in 2022 against his former club, four years after being traded.
Rohan was accidentally elbowed in the face (pictured) in the first quarter of the Cats’ VFL semi-final defeat while trying to return to the senior team for the AFL finals.
Rohan took to the VFL field on Saturday alongside fellow Cats veterans Tom Hawkins, Cam Guthrie and Sam De Koning, who are also fighting to get back into the Cats senior side.
Hawkins, who will retire at the end of this season, was 1.3 inaccurate in his return from a foot injury and his first VFL appearance since 2011.
Hawkins had been the team’s top scorer for 11 seasons between 2012 and 2022, winning the Coleman Medal as the competition’s top scorer in 2020.
Midfielder Guthrie, 32, has been battling injuries and has only featured in four AFL games this season after playing in just six last season.