Collingwood great Anthony Rocca has been diagnosed with Non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma

Collingwood great Anthony Rocca has revealed his shock cancer diagnosis, urging others to listen to their bodies and seek medical advice if something feels amiss.

Collingwood great Anthony Rocca has urged people to listen to their bodies and seek medical advice when something feels amiss after he was recently diagnosed with Non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma.

Rocca, 46, had been experiencing sharp, stabbing back pain at night for several weeks when his football intuition told him something wasn’t quite right.

It prompted the former Magpie forward and now coach of Northern Knights in the Coates Talent League to seek advice from Collingwood’s doctor, Dr Ruben Branson, which led to a series of tests before revealing a shock cancer diagnosis.

“I’ll beat this,” Rocca exclusively told the Sunday Herald Sun this week.

“No one likes the dreaded ‘c’ word, it is even hard for me to say it now.

“No one likes to be told you have got that sort of illness. But I am the sort of person who deals with what is front of me.

“When I found out, I was like ‘How do we treat it?’ ‘How do we deal with it?’ ‘When can we get started on treatment? And what’s the plan?’”

Rocca is set to undergo chemotherapy as he battles Non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma. Picture: Ian Currie

Rocca has stood down from his Northern Knights coaching role for the rest of this season as he prepares to start six months of chemotherapy in the coming weeks.

But he has been buoyed by medical advice that his condition is “very treatable” as well as the support of those closest to him, including wife Enza and his children – Mia, 18, and Max, 14 – plus his extended family, the medical team around him and his employers at the AFL.

“I’ve been told it is quite a common lymphoma, it is Non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma … it is very treatable,” he said.

“I will hopefully get into chemo in the coming weeks, which will be a six-month situation.

“The statistics tell us that it is very treatable. I’m feeling OK at the moment. A lot of people tell me if you are going to be anywhere in the world with a type of cancer, Melbourne is the best place to be (for treatment).”

The Collingwood great has urged others to listen to their bodies and seek medical advice if something feels amiss.

Rocca played 242 AFL games and kicked 415 goals with Collingwood and Sydney in a career that spanned 15 seasons, and he remains one of the Magpies’ favourite sons.

He has agreed to tell his story publicly in the hope that others encountering similar discomfort with their bodies will seek medical advice.

“There are probably plenty of tradies out there, or workers (in any industry), both men and women who are experiencing pain,” he said.

“I would just say to them ‘if you are not feeling right, go and get checked and get on top of things early’.

“I was just feeling back pain waking up in the middle of the night, which is probably six to eight weeks ago.

“Something in the back of my mind was telling me it was quite different to what I had experienced in the past. I had this back pain, but I was still training and going to the gym and doing boxing sessions.

“It wasn’t affecting me during the day. But I would wake up in the middle of the night and it was like a strange, stabbing pain, almost like a thoracic soreness, but I knew it wasn’t that because I’ve had thoracic soreness before.

“I put up with it for about three or four weeks then thought maybe it is about time to go and see the doctor and see what he thinks.

“I met up with the doctor at Collingwood and gave him all the information about what was happening. That pricked his mind a bit when I said it only happened at night.”

Rocca couldn’t be more thankful for the support of wife Enza and their children. Picture: Julie Kiriacoudis

A series of tests were done on Rocca including ultrasounds, CT scans and PET scans before he was finally given the Non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma diagnosis, a type of cancer that begins in the lymphatic system, which is part of the body’s germ-fighting immune system.

“We knew pretty much from the ultrasounds that I had swollen lymph nodes,” he said.

“It was after the CT scan that I went to see the oncologist and she said, ‘this is looking like lymphoma, but we have to do some more tests to see what the severity is’.

“It was about two weeks ago when we got the actual diagnosis.”

Rocca couldn’t be more thankful for the love and support provided to him from Enza – with whom he will celebrate 20 years of marriage later this year – and his kids.

“They’ve been awesome,” he said. “ (Enza) has been so strong and supportive. She’s been the rock of the family. It’s very important for me to stay positive for her and the kids.”

Rocca has been overwhelmed with support from his loved ones. Picture: Brendan Beckett

Rocca will step away from his Northern Knights coaching role through his chemotherapy treatment, leaving the role he loves in the capable hands of fill-in coach Monty Stuart, along with assistant coaches Ben Shelton, Matt Waters and Ricky Nolan as well as the club’s talent league manager Natalie Grindal.

“I’ll step away for the duration of the chemo period, and when I can, I will mentor and help the next coach coming in,” he said.

“I can’t thank them – and all at the Northern Knights – enough for their support through this, as well as everyone at the AFL, especially Chris Liberatore and Sam McKenzie, who have been super supportive and understanding.”

He is eager to resume the coaching role when he is back to full fitness.

“I’ve loved the enjoyment of seeing the boys develop, it’s pure footy,” he said.

“I can set up the program however I want it to be, and a game style how I want it to be.”

“They (the players) really tip in and it is so rewarding.”

Originally published as Collingwood great Anthony Rocca has been diagnosed with Non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma