NTFL SPINAL INJURY FEARS
Suspected spinal injury overshadows Buffaloes-Wanderers nailbiter
LAST night’s match between Wanderers and Darwin was halted for almost 30 minutes after a Mitchell Taylor fronton bump left Tai Martin-Page seriously injured.
The incident was put on report and shortly after an ambulance was called for the centre-half forward, who was carted to hospital for a CT scan.
Paramedics stabilised his neck as he was lifted on to a stretcher, having laid motionless on the TIO Stadium surface. The incident could have rattled the Buffaloes, but it sprung them into action in what turned into a thrilling contest.
Wanderers staged a miraculous fourth quarter comeback, having gone into the final break 29 points down.
A Kye Chapple major with less than two minutes remaining levelled the scores, but Christopher Williams saved the Buffs with a goal on the run from 40m out inside the final 60 seconds.
Darwin had owned the first half, winning it by 29 points despite Cameron Stokes also being forced off the ground with a hamstring injury.
The Buffs kicked five goals to Wanderers’ one in the second quarter, as Joe Anderson, Tim Eldridge and Josh Saveka stood up, with Darren Shillabeer acting as the perfect target inside forward 50.
The Eagles were unsure when going forward until the latter stages and lacked a strong presence to kick to.
Matthew Motlop was forced off the field with a knee injury in the first quarter. He returned in the second, but couldn’t last and was sidelined permanently.
The Muk Muks showed true spirit in the final term as the Buffaloes tired. Patrick Farihead, Simon Bates and Neil Vea Vea led the fightback, but it proved not enough.