Dimattina opens up on ’brutal’ Covid battle

Former footy star Paul Dimattina has spoken about his “brutal, tough” battle with Covid, revealing there were times he thought he was going to die.

Former footy player Paul Dimattina has given an insight into the “scariest, most brutal” two weeks of his life after falling gravely ill.

The well-known hospitality figure was admitted to intensive care after having a bad reaction to the booster jab and then contracting Covid.

He is also battling myasthenia gravis and has been receiving chemotherapy.

“That was the toughest, scariest, most brutal two weeks of my life,’’ Dimattina told the Herald Sun after being discharged from hospital on Friday.

“I’m so relieved. I really want to thank all the doctors and nurses who were so comforting, so caring and did everything to ensure I got better.

“It was the most brutal, tough, isolated and scary time of my life.

Paul Dimattina was says his Covid battle was ‘brutal’.

Dimattina spent six days in ICU.

“There were times I actually wondered if I’d pull through.”

Dimattina, who played 131 games for the Bulldogs and owns South Melbourne’s Lamaro’s Hotel, spent six days in ICU and four days in the ward at The Alfred hospital.

He had felt fit and healthy before being struck down after his third vaccination.

“I was double AZ vaxxed, I had the Pfizer booster and did have a bad reaction to it,’’ he said.

“Then I ended up with Covid, no idea if I already had Covid, but on the Tuesday I did a 10km run and had done an 8km run the day before and I felt sensational and fit and healthy.

“I deteriorated quickly from Thursday.

The former Bulldogs player is full of praise for the staff at The Alfred.

“I am auto-immune compromised so the doctors at The Alfred said it was like a perfect storm — a reaction to the booster, Covid and my underlying health issues.

“The ambulance guys who got me were unbelievable. They got to my house in five minutes from when they called a code one, raced me to The Alfred and had me hospitalised in five minutes flat.

“They too were amazing in getting oxygen on me and calming me down.”

Dimattina has been particularly critical of the lack of support for businesses and said ongoing lockdowns and restrictions had decimated his business.

He was sounded out by the Liberal Party in July about potentially standing as a candidate at the 2022 state election.

But he has since helped form a new centrist political outfit, the Victorians Party, which is hoping to take on both Labor and the Liberal Party next year.