Tiger Hit By Tram Is Now Critical
Sydney Morning Herald
Monday June 30, 2008
A SERIOUS brain injury to Richmond defender Graham Polak has improved slightly but he remains in a medically induced coma after being hit by a tram on Saturday night.
Polak's mother, Judy, and three brothers flew to Melbourne from Western Australia yesterday to join his partner, Alyce, at his bedside.In a tragic end to Richmond's centenary celebrations on Saturday, Polak was struck just hours after he played in the Tigers' 30-point loss to Carlton at the MCG.Polak was traded to Richmond from Fremantle at the end of the 2006 season, playing all 22 games for the Tigers last season and coming seventh in their best and fairest.He was among other Tigers, club staff, supporters and past players to attend a centenary function on Saturday until about 8.30pm at the MCG.A club spokeswoman said it was unclear whether alcohol consumption contributed to the accident that happened at about 11.30pm, after Polak had returned home to change his clothes."We're not completely sure if alcohol was a factor," she said. "It was more the staff and the former players that were drinking at the function beforehand because the boys had just suffered a pretty bad loss and were in a terrible mood. "They were certainly not at this function getting blind, I can assure you."The Herald believes most of the Tigers' players planned to kick off the mid-season break by meeting later on Saturday night. After leaving his house, Polak was running for a taxi with teammates Cleve Hughes and Jordan McMahon across Dandenong Road when disaster struck. While one teammate made it into the taxi, Polak collided with a number 64 tram travelling towards the city. The impact with his head shattered the tram's windscreen, but Polak, who is 196 centimetres tall, did not break any bones or suffer paralysis. Two ambulances and police arrived minutes later, and Polak was treated for 45 minutes before being taken to the Alfred Hospital.Doctors put Polak in an induced coma because of bruising to his brain and were encouraged by some scans yesterday that showed there was no additional swelling since Saturday night.Specialists had yesterday hoped to begin weaning Polak off the drugs that are keeping him unconscious, but it proved too soon.Richmond club doctor Greg Hickey said Polak tried to wake up by himself yesterday morning, moving his arms and legs around on the bed.Hickey said further swelling in the days after the injury would increase the danger of permanent brain injury, and that today's events would be critical."He was put in an induced coma and the reason for that was to shut the body down, shut the brain down and enable the hospital and the doctors to take control and monitor things carefully," Hickey said.While Polak's condition has improved, Hickey said he would be in hospital "for some time" and his AFL career was in doubt."In terms of footy, it is unquestionable. He won't play this season - longer term beyond that, we'll just have to wait and see," Hickey said. "Probably the hardest thing to gauge at this stage is more his intellectual recovery - whether he will regain that. Time will tell." A spokesman for the hospital said Polak's condition was critical but stable.While Hughes and McMahon spent most of Saturday night at the hospital, other Tigers players, including captain Matthew Richardson, visited Polak yesterday. "It's a shock, but I don't know any details at this stage," Richardson said.Victoria Police said it appeared Polak was distracted.A spokesman for Yarra Trams said the tram driver was experienced and there was no suggestion he was speeding."The tram driver was, of course, distraught after the incident and shaken and we offered him counselling but he declined it."
© 2008 Sydney Morning Herald