Veteran tells of his fear

NORTH Queensland legend Matt Scott has opened up about the shocking stroke that brought his storied career to a premature close.

The 268-game veteran had already announced his retirement at the end of the season, but after he suffered a stroke following the Cowboys loss to Newcastle in August, his opportunity to finish the season on his own terms was taken away.

Scott ( pictured) spent two weeks in hospital in Brisbane, before he was transferred to the Mater Hospital in Townsville. He was unable to attend the club’s final home game at 1300SMILES Stadium where the club made a special tribute to the retiring legend.

But Scott was in high spirits at the unveiling of the Cowboys ‘Captain’s Walk’ at the new stadium yesterday ( full story P9), and talked of the fear he felt in the days following his stroke.

“It was a huge shock considering I played a game of NRL the night before and the next day I couldn’t walk,” he said.

“It was a little bit scary, but I have had a huge amount of support from both family and the community and I couldn’t be happier with how my recovery is going. I would have loved for it to have gone differently. It wasn’t going to be on my terms anyway, I had dislocated the shoulder previously. Things weren’t going completely to plan.

“I am really happy with my career and everything I have been able to achieve. I am not disappointed that I didn’t finish the year off. It would have been nice to do so but I was just happy with what I had achieved.”

While it is going to be a long road before the 34-year-old is 100 per cent healthy, he said the recovery process was going well and said he would be watching on from the crowd as the Cowboys run onto North Queensland Stadium for the first time next season.

Scott said he was envious of the current playing squad as they prepare to call the stateof-the-art $250 million facility home next season. But he has given the squad a mission, to make it into a fortress.

“Watching them run out for round one (next year), there is no place I would rather be than in the tunnel with them, but in saying that I am not regretting retirement at all,” he said.

“Having a stadium in the city, I can see it from home. Most days I drive past it and I already get goosebumps every time I do. I am not going to miss round one.

“To run out to a new stadium with facilities like this (will be great). We have seen what the Parramatta Eels have done with Bankwest Stadium, to make that a fortress and get so many wins there, I am sure the next lot of Cowboys will be able to do the same.”