SAM WINFIELD said he is hopeful he will only miss one game for Minyip-Murtoa after he was taken to hospital just five minutes into the side’s round five fixture at the weekend.
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There was early fears of serious injuries when Winfield was taken to ground in what he said was an “awkward tackle in a pack” against the Horsham Demons early in the contest.
“It was just one those things,” he said. “There was no malice in it from my perspective.”
Winfield was taken by ambulance to hospital on Saturday and spent the night in the intensive care.
After scans he was given the all-clear on Sunday afternoon.
“I went down to Ballarat on Tuesday for a few more tests but there was no real structural injuries, just some bone bruising,” he said.
“I’m still pretty stiff and sore at the moment though.
“There isn’t a lot of neck movement right now but I’ve got some exercises to keep me going over the next few day.”
Regulation tests taken while he was in hospital returned some inconsistencies surrounding his heart.
He said that had also cleared up by scans in Ballarat.
“They came back clear and they aren’t really sure what was going on or what caused it,” he said.
“I met with a cardiologist down there and it had him stumped as well.
“We’ll do the tests again in four weeks just to do a comparison, but there was no need for immediate precautions.”
Winfield said he was overwhelmed by the support he received following the match.
“When I came out of hospital on Sunday I would have had 40 or 50 missed calls and messages,” he said.
“There was incredible support from both the Laharum community and Minyip-Murtoa’s community.
“There were people that I probably haven’t even met who sent me messages asking how I was going.
“I’m just disappointed I couldn’t help get the side over the line since we only went down by 20 points or so.”
Winfield played much of his football at Laharum before making the switch to play for Minyip-Murtoa ahead of the 2017 Wimmera league season.
He said he would be on the sidelines supporting his teammates against Ararat on Saturday.
“It is what it is and we’re all positive from this point on,” he said.
“We have a bye the weekend after and I’ll be taking that opportunity to get away.
“Hopefully when we return after the bye I can be playing again.”
