MPNFL: Teammates rally around injured Frankston YCW player Luke Paynter

LUKE Paynter, the young Frankston YCW player who suffered a shocking injury last week, is slowly on the mend.

Happier times: Luke Paynter celebrates Frankston YCW's 2017 flag win last September.

LUKE Paynter, the young Frankston YCW player who suffered a shocking injury last week, has received positive news.

But he still faces a long recovery.

Paynter was first thought to have dislocated his hip while running and changing direction in the game against Seaford.

In excruciating pain, he was unable to be moved for more than an hour and the game was called off.

Game called off after Frankston YCW player injured

AFL 2018: who are the VFL players putting their hand up for this year’s drafts?

It wasn’t a dislocated hip but rather an anterior superior iliac spine (ASIS) avulsion of the pelvis, as well injuries to his gluteus minimus and obliques.

In layman’s terms, the muscles and ligaments connected to the pelvis had ripped off, along with some bone.

“It sounds horrible but it’s probably not as bad as having a dislocated hip,” YCW coach Wayne Capp said.

Luke Paynter (middle) playing for Vic Country last year.

“It will still be a few months for him to recover from it, but he will make a full recovery from it.”

There were initial fears Paynter, a highly rated player who had been training with VFL club Frankston, might not play again but it seems he will pull on the boots again next season.

The timing of the injury couldn’t have been worse for Luke, though. He’d just started a job as a carpenter, but won’t be working for some time.

As you’d expect Luke’s YCW teammates have rallied around him.

The morning after it happened, the players decided to donate money and by that night almost $3000 had been raised.

“All the players have been awesome and got around him,” Capp said.