Whitsunday Raider William Crossley’s road to recovery after devastating match injury

A regional rugby union prop was playing in a usual Saturday match when his whole world was up-ended. Now he won’t be able to show his sons how to toss a footy.

It was just a typical game of Saturday rugby but on this particular day William Crossley’s whole life changed.

The Whitsunday Raiders prop received a hit from a dummy runner – it wasn’t a big hit, in fact the father of three said he’d had harder knocks across the 200-odd games of union he’d played in his 32 years.

Now the former Proserpine High student said he would never be able to show his boys how to toss a footy, and would likely need the use of a wheelchair for the rest of his life.

It was August 13 and his team was defending their goal line in the second half of a game against the Kuttabul Camelboks in a “do or die” match for the latter.

“They needed to win to make the finals,” Mr Crossley said.

Whitsunday Raiders prop and Proserpine father-of-three William Crossley received a devastating injury during a typical Saturday match.

A dummy runner clipped Mr Crossley with a stray shoulder – it was deliberate and he said it was pretty standard in a rugby match.

“I’ve seen it coming at the last second,” he said.

He went to move his head backwards and instead of a shoulder to shoulder hit, the other player’s arm hit the back of Mr Crossley’s head.

“I collapsed to the ground immediately, paralysed from the left ear down,” he said.

But he thought it was “a stinger” and “nothing significant at all”.

“I was caught up in the game and just wanted to get up,” he said.

Luckily a team member was a doctor and recognised the seriousness, told him not to move and called the paramedics.

While waiting for test results at Proserpine Hospital Mr Crossley said he was joking with his teammates about heading out that night – the feeling in his leg was coming back.

“I was sitting in hospital thinking it was going to be fine,” he said.

His injuries included a fracture in the C5 vertebrae and a prolapsed and ruptured C5/6 disk, which went inward damaging his spinal cord.

But in that hour the 32 year old learned the devastating seriousness of his injuries and that he was being flown to Townsville Hospital for immediate surgery.

“The first thing that went through my mind was ‘I don’t want to be down for the kids’,” he said.

“I’m a single dad of three.”

His injuries included a fracture in the C5 vertebrae and a prolapsed and ruptured C5/6 disk, which went inward damaging his spinal cord.

“I’m paralysed completely in my left arm … they think my (left) leg might become usable again,” he said.

“Sometimes I wake up and it hasn’t sunk in.”

He added the doctors told him “miracles do happen” regarding his arm.

Mr Crossley remains in hospital undergoing rehabilitation and said he expected to be there at least until Christmas.

Before the accident he worked as a security guard during the night and looked after his three kids, boys aged 13 and eight, and a four-year-old girl, during the day.

“It’s big to think that being only 32, the prospect of raising three kids out of a wheelchair,” he said.

Before the accident he worked as a security guard during the night and looked after his three kids, boys aged 13 and eight, and a four-year-old girl, during the day.

“I won’t be able to teach my boys how to pass a football by showing them.”

His rugby union club launched a GoFundMe page that has raised $16,000 – Mr Crossley said he was grateful for the generosity as the money would “stop me from going under” while he remains in hospital.

“I’m not sure what I’ll even be able to do for work when I get out,” he said, adding he had been working closely with the hospital’s psychology unit to develop tools to focus on the positives.

“Having a positive mindset is pretty much my only road back to recovery,” he said.

He was currently undergoing six hours of rehabilitation a day, six days a week.

Mr Crossley said the support he had received was overwhelming – messages were flooding his inbox, mates were making the six hour round trip to be by his side and Wallabies players Tom Wright and David Porecki had even reached out to check on his headspace.

The Wallabies gave a shout out to Proserpine father-of-three William Crossley after his devastating injury on the rugby field.

He said he even received a video shout out from the Wallabies two hours before kick off for their first test against New Zealand.

“The news reached them from a club game in Airlie Beach,” he said.

“The feeling of having a complete stranger genuinely care, it just really humbles you as a person.”

A die-hard Whitsunday Raiders supporter, Mr Crossley said once he had recovered he hoped to remain involved in the rugby union community.

“I’ll never get back on the field,” he said.

“But I want to get into coaching juniors.

“The rugby community has been amazing, I definitely want to find away to give back.”

To visit the GoFundMe page for Mr Crossley click here.