Central District footballer Shay Linke lucky to walk again after freak boating accident

He was nearly paralysed in a freak boating accident, now Central District’s Shay Linke is counting his blessings as he prepares for his first SANFL league final on Sunday.

Shay Linke is counting his blessings.

As the Central District forward-midfielder prepares for his first SANFL league final against Port Adelaide on Sunday, he can’t help but think back to what doctors told him two years ago – that he was the luckiest person to have suffered a serious back injury they had come across.

“I dodged a bullet,’’ the 20-year-old said.

“The doctors said they hadn’t seen someone so lucky not to be in a wheelchair. I went within millimetres of being paralysed.’’

Two weeks before the 2021 AFL national draft, when Linke, then 18, was considered among South Australia’s top 20 draft prospects, his life flashed before his eyes on the River Murray at Waikerie.

He was enjoying a day out on the water with family and friends, being towed on a tube by a speedboat, when he became dislodged.

As he swam for some clothing that had come adrift, Linke saw the boat speeding back towards him.

Central District’s Shay Linke at training at Elizabeth Oval this week. Picture: Matt Turner

“It was a bit of miscommunication and the boat driver didn’t realise I’d fallen off,’’ explained Linke, who represented SA's under-18s and played six league games in his draft year.

“He didn’t see me and as the boat came towards me I realised it wasn’t going to stop.

“I couldn’t get out of the way in time so I tried to dive under it but the hull hit my arm and snapped it. Then the propeller cut into my back.

“I could see the bones sticking out of my arm, so I went into shock, and there was blood everywhere from my back injuries.’’

Linke was pulled from the water and rushed by ambulance to Waikerie Hospital.

His injuries were so severe that he was soon flown to Royal Adelaide Hospital.

Linke had two metal plates inserted into his right arm to hold it together but doctors opted not to perform surgery on his back, given how close the deep cuts were to nerves.

The propeller had cut through and fractured his sacrum – the triangular bone that forms the base of the spine and centre of the pelvis.

“They said it would be too dangerous to put plates in my back given it was so close to the nerves and that it would be best to let the break heal naturally,’’ said Linke, whose 5cm-plus deep cuts were binded by so many internal and external stitches that the number was never revealed to him.

The scars from the horror boating accident are still evident on Shay Linke’s back. Picture: Matt Turner

Linke was told by doctors that if the propeller had hit him slightly higher or lower, key nerves would have been severed and that he would not have been able to walk again.

“They said I was the luckiest person they’d ever seen with a back injury and that X-rays had shown that a few millimetres either way I would have been paralysed,’’ he said.

The 190cm, 80kg Linke spent two weeks at the RAH before beginning a long and arduous rehabilitation program.

He couldn’t work for eight months and missed most of the 2022 SANFL season, playing only two reserves games late in the year before re-injuring his arm in a tackle.

One of the broken bones snapped again in an innocuous incident, resulting in doctors removing the plates.

The setback cost Linke most of the 2023 pre-season but he proved his fitness for Round 1, playing the first 11 games in the Bulldogs’ reserves before, in June against West Adelaide, being promoted to the league side for the first time in 22 months.

He has played the past six games at league level and shone against Port in the final minor round last week with 13 disposals, seven marks and two goals as Central won to seal its first finals appearance in six years.

Shay Linke in hospital as he recovered from surgery. Picture: Supplied

Shay Linke in action for Central District during his league comeback match against West Adelaide in Round 13. Picture: David Mariuz/SANFL

The Barossa Valley product, who works as an apprentice diesel mechanic, said the boating accident had left him not only grateful to play football again but “appreciating life a lot more’’.

“When you go through something like that, you do a lot of reflecting and you learn to appreciate your health a lot more,’’ Linke said.

“I’m just super grateful to be in the position I am now, being back playing decent footy, getting the chance to play finals and trying to make the most of every opportunity.’’

Central coach Paul Thomas described Linke’s return as one of the club’s feel-good stories this year.

“Shay has been through a lot of adversity, which has caused him to miss a lot of footy, but he has talent to burn and we are starting to see that at league level,’’ he said.

While his shocking injuries cost him draft selection two years ago, Linke hasn’t given up on his AFL dream.

“I’m just enjoying playing footy again and if the AFL happens, it happens,’’ he said.