MPNFL: Paddy Swayn wants to keep coaching Pines after health scare

An emotional Paddy Swayn has spoken about his coaching future after a serious health ordeal, with doctors suspecting he has epilepsy.

Pines coach Paddy Swayn. Picture: Chris Eastman

Paddy Swayn was brought to tears by the amount of support he received after a serious health ordeal last week.

The Pines football coach had a seizure in his sleep last Wednesday night and was rushed to Frankston hospital.

He had another seizure at hospital and had to be intubated and sedated in ICU.

Doctors suspect he has epilepsy.

The popular Swayn received hundreds of messages of support via text messages and on Facebook.

“I’ve been touched,” Swayn said.

“Some of it has even made me cry and I don’t usually cry.

“It is good.”

Swayn dislocated and fractured his shoulder during the seizures.

He had surgery on his shoulder on Sunday but doctors were unable to get it back in and he will undergo a shoulder reconstruction on Friday.

“Then the road to recovery begins,” Swayn said.

“I have been, and my family, that rapt with all the support people have given me.”

Pines celebrate after winning the MPNFL Division 1 grand final in 2018. Picture: Andy Brownbill

Swayn is Pines’ longest serving coach, having steered the club in two stints — in 2008-09, and from 2015 to currently.

He took the Pythons to a memorable premiership in 2018, when they beat Sorrento by a point with a kick after the siren.

Swayn said it was too early to know if he would continue coaching next season.

“It’s probably too early to say but I’ll do everything I can to coach,” he said,

“But I won’t put the club in a position where I’m not giving them the full service.”

Regardless, Swayn wants to help out Pines.

“I won’t do anything to put me or my family at risk,” he said.

“But I’ll always be doing something there, either out the front or behind the scenes because, yeah, it’s a bloody good joint.”

Swayn described the past week as “crazy”. He said he remembers conducting end of season footy meetings and the next thing he knew he was in hospital.

“I’ve been rapt with the playing group and coaching staff,’’ he said.

“The blokes have just picked it up like Ben Corrie, Stella (Jackson), Beau Hendry, they’ve just been running all the meetings as normal.

“It’s in good hands.”