MPNFL 2021: Rye player Brodie Shaw taken to hospital with neck injury

A Mornington Peninsula football game was stopped for 40 minutes after a player suffered a neck injury.

An ambulance was called to attend to Rye player Brodie Shaw.

Rye midfielder Brodie Shaw has escaped serious injury after being sandwiched between two Devon Meadows opponents in an MPNFL Division 2 game on Saturday.

Shaw had his head over the football when he was tackled to the ground late in the second quarter at Rowley Reserve, Rye.

Fearing he’d suffered neck and spinal damage, he stayed on the ground, not wanting to move.

Trainers attended him and an ambulance was called while coaches and umpires agreed to take the halftime break.

Shaw was taken to hospital by paramedics after spinal protocols were enacted.

Rye vice-president Scott Beel said news came through on Sunday morning Shaw had been cleared of major neck injury, although he suffered “a lot of ligament damage’’.

“It didn’t look good and he didn’t want to move because he was really sore,” Beel said.

“We got the news this morning off his old man. Yeah, bloody great news, mate.”

Brodie Shaw was cleared of serious injury.

Beel said the incident was innocuous.

“It was just one of those quirky things where he got sandwiched between two Devon Meadows players and he just got hit right on top of the head,” he said.

“It could have been a nasty injury. He was very lucky.

“At this stage he will probably be back playing in three or four weeks.”

Rye pulled away from Devon Meadows to win 9.9 (63) to 4.8 (32) in the first night game for premiership points at the Rye ground.

Mornington recruit Michael Macgowan was dominant in the ruck for the Demons, and Peter Hampton and Matt Hill provided plenty of run off half back.

Young midfielder Campbell Robbins was also impressive, while Kalani Ryan kicked a long goal to ice the game.

Kalani Ryan was among the best players in the Demons' win. Picture: Facebook

Rye is undefeated after two rounds and playing-coach Adam Kirkwood is set to bolster the side next weekend against Somerville after being sidelined with a calf injury.

Beel said Rye had improved pace and fitness this season.

“Our fitness is pretty good. We’ve got Barry Besanko down there doing some fitness work so the boys are fit and they pulled away in that last quarter,” he said.

“If we can beat Somerville it will set us up for the season.

“We’ve got a bit of pace around the packs with Kalani Ryan, Campbell (Robbins) and Tommy Hughes, we’ve got some really good kids who’ve come through now to play 40 to 50 games.”

Beel said a crowd of close to 1000 attended the night game.

“It was a cracker,” he said.

“We’ve got another one in two weeks time against Pearcedale,’’ he said.

“If the weather can look after us I believe we’ll get more.

“We were very happy with the crowd and they stuck around. It was a good day for the club.”