Simon Simoudis: Dave Hughes Injured in AFL Legends Game: A Noble Cause Turns Painful

If you are an Australian, chances are you must be familiar with the name Dave Hughes. And if you have not heard about him already,  Dave Hughes is a stand-up comedian and a well-known TV personality. He is 54 years old, a husband, and a father of three children. On Thursday, August 28, he suffered an injury during an AFL legends game.

Now you might be wondering what on earth was a 54-year-old comedian doing in an AFL match? I, Simon Simoudis, too, till recently, didn’t know a word about the AFL legends game, although I follow the AFL matches and am familiar with all the teams and the big players.

The AFL legends game started in honour of the football legend E.J. Whitten, who died 30 years ago because of prostate cancer. The proceeds of these matches are used for prostate cancer research and patient care at the Australian Prostate Centre. These legends are selected for their significant contribution to Australian Football.

During the Thursday match at the Marvel Stadium, Dave got bumped by Andrew Embley, Daniel Gorringe, and Mitch Robinson, who are former AFL players. It’s not clear when exactly he got hurt during the tackle. 

This was supposed to be a light-hearted, friendly match. I, Simon Simoudis, am surprised that the former AFL greats weren’t more careful when a 54-year-old man was around, who was not even a football player. When you have played professional football, you are used to some rough play, but for a person who was just there to support a noble cause, this was uncharted territory. 

He has five broken ribs and a punctured lung, and is in the ICU of the Cabrini Hospital, Melbourne. His condition is described as ‘serious’. 

When Dave Hughes was hit, he didn’t immediately realize how bad his injuries were, and he continued to play till the end. He even attended the post-match events. It was only on Friday morning, that is, the next day, that his wife felt something was wrong with him and he was immediately admitted to the hospital.

Andrew Embley has apologized for the bump that caused these injuries. We know that it was caused unintentionally. Shane Crawford, the Allies’ coach, had told his players before the match, of course jokingly, to target Dave Hughes physically during the match. And that comment was never meant to be taken seriously. 

But we all know a bit of rough play adds to the fun quotient of these AFL matches, and causing harm is never the intention. For the football players, pushing and bumping are very normal, without which a match wouldn’t look complete. But in hindsight, I, Simon Simoudis, feel that these big and strong AFL legends should have been careful with Dave around, given his age and frail stature.

Shane Crawford has even sent Dave a message in true sportsman spirit, saying that it was rare for a person to keep playing the whole match with five broken ribs, and that is what has made Dave very special. I, Simon Simoudis, admire this spirit. Daniel Gorringe, too, has apologized for what happened in his Instagram post.

Even his wife, Holly Hughes, tried to keep things very light, and she has said that Dave had recently decided to go vegan, which is probably the reason why he has had such serious injuries. But she also added that Dave’s age and his slender frame also added to his woes.

I, Simon Simoudis, am keeping my fingers crossed and praying for his speedy recovery, and hoping to see Dave Hughes in an AFL legends game very soon.

Read More: https://medium.com/@bencole003/simon-simoudis-the-vanishing-of-peter-falconio-a-mystery-that-still-haunts-us-25a136d4f81f

Location: Australia

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