By NOEL MURPHY
A groundswell of support has enveloped South Barwon footballer Casey Tutungi after he sustained serious spinal injuries in a clash against St Joseph’s last weekend.
The 27-year-old Swans co-coach, whose partner Bridget is pregnant with their first child, is in intensive care at the Austin Hospital with damage to his spinal cord and two vertebrae after colliding head-first with an opponent’s stomach.
South Barwon football manager Bill McCann described him as “just one of those bloody genuine nice guys”.
“There’s an overwhelming amount of support for this much-loved, much-respected person from the club members, the outside community, St Joey’s, from the Lorne footy club, AFL – a whole host of people.”
Tutungi’s co-coach, James McGarvey, said the club was working to coordinate the extraordinary outpouring of support.
“We’re trying to get together to work out the best way to deliver that support. There’s nothing actually in place just yet … it’s a matter of channelling that energy and formulating the best plan, the best way, to extend that support.”
Doctors are waiting for swelling and inflammation to subside before they can fully assess Tutungi’s injuries.
He has undergone surgery and his spine has been stabilised but a family statement said “the real damage” was to his spinal cord functions, which control body movement.
McCann said assessing the impact on Tutungi’s teammates was difficult.
“We’re trying to produce a paper over the next couple of days that we’ll make available for all people requiring counselling. It’s a very difficult thing to assess with players, what traits will come out in a person under adversity.
“We don’t know what’s going to happen but they’ve played a lot of footy and had a lot of success but they’re still young.”
McCann said the club had a team “bonding session” after training this week.
Tutungi’s family thanked the public for its offers of help.
“But at this stage your love and prayers are all we can ask for,” the family said.
