Roberton facing more tests

DOCTORS remain unsure what caused St Kilda defender Dylan Roberton’s frightening collapse during the AFL loss to Geelong.

The likely culprit is some sort of heart abnormality, but Roberton will be out of the game for at least the next week or two as he undergoes a battery of tests.

Roberton spent Sunday night at Epworth Hospital in Geelong, where he was alert and able to eat.

He was scheduled to undergo an ultrasound on his heart and provided those test results did not reveal any major issues, Roberton was set to go home late yesterday.

“I guess what Dylan reported was dizziness and a blackout,” said Saints football manager Simon Lethlean.

“He was then tested on the bench by our very experienced doctors, who thought there was probably some irregularity in his heartbeat.

“It could be a viral issue, it could be anything, but obviously the heart one is the one to take a good look at.”

Roberton was setting up on the edge of the square for a centre bounce in the second term of Sunday’s game at Geelong when he fell to the ground without warning.

Lethlean said the defender had not reported any related health issues ahead of the match and had not suffered any major knocks earlier in the match. Teammates and club medical staff quickly went to Roberton and he was able to walk from the field.

“Hopefully it’s a one-off event and it doesn’t happen again,” Lethlean said.

The Saints football boss added that Roberton was dealing with the scare well. “He’s a pretty relaxed character, Dylan, so he headed off the ground and told a few people that he was feeling a bit dazed and a bit bleary-eyed,” Lethlean said.