Former NSW State of Origin legend and Kangaroos captain Max Krilich on coming close to death

THIS is the former Kangaroos captain and NSW State of Origin legend who recently died. Yet Max Krilich is alive again today to tell his own remarkable story.

THIS is the former Kangaroos captain and NSW State of Origin legend who recently died. Yet Max Krilich is alive again today to tell his own remarkable story.

Two months ago, as he was being anaesthetised for knee replacement surgery in Manly hospital, Krilich had an allergic reaction that shut his body down.

In the picture below, Krilich is on life support.

“Yeah, I was apparently dead for a little while,” Krilich said, “I was gone. Everything stopped. No breathing. No nothing.”

Former Kangaroos captain Max Krilich in hospital.

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Krilich had what is known in medicine as an anaphylactic shock, a life-threatening allergic reaction. It is like what some people have with a peanut allergy.

“All I know is that I was on life support for about 20 hours and they told my wife to notify relatives because it’s not looking good,” he said.

“I had tubes and oxygen going everywhere, then fortunately they brought me out of it the next day and it was all sweet. I was as good as gold.”

His specialists are still carrying out tests to find out what happened.

Krilich had 30 needles at North Shore Hospital last week to try to find the cause.

Krilich in his heyday with the Kangaroos in 1982.

“I’ve got another ‘jabathon’ next week,” he said. “I’m allergic to something and they’re still trying to find out. The doctors have been fantastic. I hope they do (find out) soon because I still need to get my knee done.”

Krilich captained the NSW Origin team in 1986 in a 20-16 win over the Maroons.

He was also skipper of Australia’s Invincibles on the 1978 tour of England and is regarded as one of the toughest forwards to wear the green and gold. Coming back from the dead is proof of that.