Bracks visits as Cat wakes

Mark Heenan
PREMIER Steve Bracks passed on his best wishes to injured Cats’ youngster Tom Lonergan after he awoke from a medically-induced coma in Geelong Hospital yesterday.
Doctors removed one of Lonergan’s kidneys after he collided with Melbourne’s Brad Miller during at Skilled Stadium.
Lonergan lost three litres of blood and was on precautionary life-support.
Lonergan left the hospital’s intensive care unit yesterday.
Mr Bracks was in Geelong yesterday for a raft of announcements including a funding package for the city’s Andrew Love Cancer Centre when he made time to visit Lonergan.
A spokesperson for Mr Bracks said the visit “certainly wasn’t planned”.
“It was a private visit and an impromptu call,” the spokesperson said
“He specifically visited Tom Lonergan and personally gave him his best wishes.”
Earlier this week Lonergan’s parents Bernie and Trish made the journey from Yarrawonga.
Geelong teammates have also visited him in hospital.
Barwon Heath spokesperson Amanda Bavin said Lonergan’s condition had dramatically improved in the past 24 hours.
“He (Lonergan) was previously on life-support as a precautionary measure but is now off life-support,” Bavin said.
“He is conscious and breathing normally and is going very well. He’as since been removed from ICU.”
Doctors expect Lonergan to make a full recovery but his AFL playing future remains in doubt.
He also lost blood from his remaining kidney during his stay in the intensive care unit, Ms Bavin said.
The 22-year-old, drafted as Geelong’s 23rd pick in the 2002 AFL national draft, played one of his best games on Saturday, racking up 15 disposals and taking six marks.