‘LUCKY’ BREAK FOR STAR HAWK
INVERLEIGH spearhead Jak Kennedy-Hunt continues to experience breathing problems, four days after a sickening hit that landed him in hospital.
Kennedy-Hunt yesterday revealed he escaped emergency surgery on his liver, which was punished by an errant knee from Bell Post Hill’s Jake Barlow in the final quarter of the grand final.
The Hawks’ century goalkicker also copped an knock to the face from Barlow in a brutal collision that left him writhing on the ground in agony.
“I got hit and I knew I’d done something bad to my ribs,” Kennedy-Hunt said.
“I was a bit dazed and I couldn’t breathe. Even when I got in the car, I was struggling to breathe.
“My stomach is still really inflamed, and when you get a big impact like that on an organ, your stomach is really inflamed and every time I eat or take a deep breathe I cough.
“I’ve just got to be careful. I can’t eat to much, because if I do, then my liver and stomach really hurt. I can’t take too big a breath because I start coughing.
“And because the liver controls everything, I can’t have alcohol or anything either. That’s OK though.”
Kennedy-Hunt spent two days in Geelong hospital, unable to attend Inverleigh’s best and fairest, won by big man Dalton Grundell, or take part in Mad Monday.
He is also nursing a 5cm tear on his quad and revealed he had a small tear in his calf.
“They (doctors) originally did tests and it showed I had blood on my liver and cracked ribs, so it was protocol that I stay in hospital so my liver wasn’t leaking,” he said.
“If my liver was leaking, then I would’ve had immediate surgery because it can be fatal if you bleed internally.
“I was fortunate that it was just badly bruised.”