Tyson Brown ruled out of elimination final after being knocked out against Norwood
THERE were plenty of worried people at Noarlunga Oval last weekend when South Adelaide’s Tyson Brown was knocked out in a sickening head clash, but he had just one thing on his mind as he lay on the ground.
- Double Blues wait on Sutcliffe
- Finals flashback: Flag that united merged Eagles
- Brooksby wants to get monkey off Panthers’ back
- Cotton plots finals course without Glenn
SOUTH Adelaide defender Tyson Brown lay on the Noarlunga Oval turf last Sunday almost motionless for 25 minutes after being knocked out.
Surrounded by medical staff and trainers from the Panthers and Norwood, his neck was placed in a brace and his head cradled to prevent movement.
Paul Brown, who has game-day duties on the Panthers’ bench, watched on as his son was comforted after the sickening head clash.
A security man walked his grandmother June to the southern pocket where Brown lay.
Pieces of information filtered back to the grandstand. He had been convulsing and was unconscious for a couple of minutes.
Brown was then asked three questions — where was he, what was the day and did he know the date. He got the date wrong.
The vastly improved defender was worried. Not for his health, but for his spot in the elimination final.
“When I woke I did not know what was going on,” he said. “I tried to get up, but they wouldn’t let me.
“There was no pain, just the shock of not knowing what had happened. The trainers were there and the club physio was holding my neck. I’m also grateful for the help from the Norwood support staff, they were great as well.
“I could tell dad was worried. I was lying there knowing I’d probably be ruled out for the elimination final this week. It was the same thoughts I had in the first final in 2016.”
Brown damaged his hamstring in the opening minutes of the 2016 qualifying loss to Sturt and it was season over, forced to miss the first semi-final defeat to Adelaide.
It was not until round 17 the following season before he returned to the Panthers’ league side.
The injury had been diagnosed as a grade two hamstring, but the mistake was not to get scans. So he started the recovery without knowing he had torn the tendon, causing more complications and requiring surgery to have scar tissue removed.
While the Panthers and Redlegs had retreated to the changerooms amid uncertainty whether the game would be restarted within the necessary 30 minutes after the incident as stated in the rules, an ambulance drove onto the ground.
It was an strange scene as cars surrounding the ground, a unique situation for SANFL games, blasted their horns in respect for the hurt Panther.
Brown’s grandmother June rode with him in the ambulance and they were met by his mum Dianne at the hospital. A nurse at Minda Home, Dianne asked her son the same questions.
This time he got the month wrong, answering September instead of August.
“Mum looked worried, but when the doctors took off the neck brace she relaxed a fair bit,” he said. “I had a bit of a headache that night and by Tuesday morning it was gone.
“I’ve had smaller knocks in a game and felt worse later.”
Recruited from Hallett Cove in 2011, Brown has established himself as a key component of the defence under first-year coach Jarrad Wright and appeared in all minor round games.
However, while he failed to answer correctly with the date, he was spot on with his thoughts he would be sidelined this weekend.
Brown was ruled out of the elimination final against North Adelaide at Adelaide Oval on Sunday.
“Hopefully the boy can win and I’ll be right for selection next week,” he said.