Osca Riccardi reflects on frightening health scare 12 months on, his footy comeback and ongoing search for joy in the game

Twelve months ago, Osca Riccardi was rushed to hospital with a life-threatening brain infection. The former rookie opens up his footy return 11 weeks later, and his latest move amid a footy ‘reset’.

Osca Riccardi is swamped by his North Geelong teammates after kicking a goal on club debut. Picture: Alan Barber

Osca Riccardi believes it’s a miracle he is still here – let alone having made a return to football last year less than three months on from a life-and-death health scare.

But after recovering from a brain infection which forced him into a three-day coma in May of 2024, coupled with the disappointment of a delistment by Geelong some eight months earlier, Riccardi now finds himself amid a circuit-breaker month away from VFL footy.

Lining up for Geelong and District league club North Geelong – under the guidance of dad and 288-game Geelong great Peter – for the first time on Saturday, Riccardi hopes playing surrounded by friends and family at the Magpies can reignite his lost love for football.

Rushed to Geelong hospital on May 27 of last year, Riccardi was placed into an induced coma with a brain infection, sinus infections and glandular fever.

Osca Riccardi was put in an induced coma after a brain infection. Picture: Supplied

The former Cats rookie reflected on that tough 12 month period between having his AFL dream dashed after one season, and overcoming a horror health scare at just 19.

“Within the time I was delisted in August, September … and you have the brain infection, it’s all in the span of a year – it was probably the worst year of my life realistically,” Riccardi, now 20, said.

“There was times there it got really dark, and I just think, I’ve got such supportive friends and family, it made it a lot easier for me.

“Going through that, I don’t wish it on my worst enemy and it did hurt, but it’s part of life and you’ve got to move on and keep going.”

Released from hospital on June 4, eight days after he was rushed to hospital, Riccardi spent two weeks “doing absolutely nothing in bed” before the itchy feet returned.

“I was getting that cranky with all the VFL trainers, like ‘you have to let me do something’, and cranky with my neurologist cause I was still doing nothing,” he said.

“Then I got the all-clear to start running again, only little increments at a time but before I knew it, they were like ‘mate, you’re tracking really well, we’re happy for you to start contact again’.

In the grand scheme of things, Riccardi’s football comeback 11 weeks on from a health ordeal is quite remarkable.

The wingman held hope of a possible return last year, but surprised even himself with a return a fortnight after starting back up contact training.

Osca Riccardi (left) made it back for four games for Bell Park in late 2024, including the Dragons’ elimination final. Picture: Mike Dugdale

A goal in his return for Bell Park against Lara in the Geelong league led to three more games for the Dragons last year – including their losing elimination final against South Barwon.

“It all sort of happened really quickly, the turnaround was unbelievable,” he said.

“I thought I was definitely a write-off for the season.”

Most bizarre though, was the absence of side-effects Riccardi felt from his time spent in hospital and recovering.

“Going back out there it didn’t any different to how I was before going into hospital,” he said.

“I felt just as strong, if not stronger, and just as fit, if not fitter going into the back half of the season – kind of weird.”

Stepping back

Sitting down with dad Peter ahead of a 2025 pre-season, Riccardi decided to give VFL footy this year a “100 per cent crack”.

He’d kept up his training over the off-season – not wanting to lose more time.

But after his injury-interrupted season on Geelong’s AFL list in 2023, and having played little football last year, long were the days of winning an under-16 premiership with his mates at Newtown & Chilwell.

Osca Riccardi spent a year on Geelong’s AFL list in 2023. Picture: Alan Barber

“After being delisted, it really took my focus away from footy and really just killed it for me – not to the point I needed to stop – but I didn’t find the same enjoyment I had while I was coming up through Newtown and Falcons,” he said.

“I could have easily stopped playing footy – I told them at one stage I was going to.

“I thought coming back I’d start to love footy again because ever since coming out of hospital – it’s like you don’t know what you’ve got until its gone, was sort of the mindset I had, it put a different perspective on things.

“So I started playing footy again and training and getting back to enjoying it, and then I went out and couldn’t find that same enjoyment.”

Training with the AFL squad, and switching up his regular role on the wing with more time off the halfback in the VFL, Riccardi found some form playing the first five games of the 2025 season.

But he revealed he also found himself back in another rut.

“I just wasn’t enjoying it still, I couldn’t figure out what the problem was,” he said.

“I was talking to dad and a lot of mentors at the Cats – Nigel Lappin is one for me – and we just made the decision I’d take a month break or so just to get back to enjoying it, get back around the people I know and love and play with a few of my best mates, play under dad and sort of have a lot of pressure off and go out there and enjoy the game and not force myself to like it.”

After a week sitting on a decision whether to transfer from Bell Park to North Geelong, Riccardi finally made that decision “for himself”.

With rumblings around the Magpies he may be coming across in the week leading up to it, clearance officially came through on the Wednesday leading into round 6, before Riccardi ran out in front of the black and white faithful in Saturday’s win against Anakie.

The right decision

Sitting down with one of his best mates, and now North Geelong teammate, Noah Penny before Saturday’s game, Riccardi already felt at home at Osborne Park.

A regular visitor down at the club since dad Peter took over the coaching reins in late 2023, Riccardi often joined in the first month of pre-season training with the Magpies.

Running out with Penny in particular “put a massive smile” on Riccardi’s face, the schoolmates never played together despite their friendship dating back to Year 7.

“We (Penny) were talking before the game about how happy we were going to be to hopefully get a win and just celebrate everything we can together,” he said.

Alongside Penny, Riccardi joins two mates from their friend group – Cooper Vaughan and Noah Bily – at the Magpies.

Riccardi is excited to run out with Vaughan once the bollocking midfielder returns from concussion protocols, while he hoped Bily – his mate since primary school – might play a few games, despite taking the year off for travel.

Osca Riccardi kicks a goal in his first appearance for North Geelong on Saturday. Picture: Alan Barber

Riccardi couldn’t’ have asked for a better start for Magpies, an early free kick leading to the winger kicking the first goal of the game – with his new teammates quickly getting around him in the ensuring celebration, as the team went on to extend its winning run to 6-0.

Though hesitant when first weighing up whether to temporarily step back from VFL footy, Riccardi said he was now confident it was the right decision, with many people at Osborne Park noting how happy he looked out of the field on Saturday.

Though Riccardi knows he’ll sit down with his VFL to reassess within the next month, he remains happy to put his full attention towards the Magpies “at the minute”, with games against Winchelsea and Bannockburn this next fortnight.

“I really enjoyed the weekend and I’m very happy to go again this week,” he said.

Originally published as Osca Riccardi reflects on frightening health scare 12 months on, his footy comeback and ongoing search for joy in the game