Former Geelong Cats player Paul Brown suffers serious head injuries in Shepparton street attack
UPDATE: A DUAL Geelong Grand Final player is recovering after being seriously injured while helping a distressed woman involved in a “heated” fight with a man.
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DUAL Geelong Grand Final player Paul Brown is conscious and should make a full recovery after he was attacked in Shepparton.
Brown, 46, suffered a fractured skull and bleeding on the brain, according to friends, after intervening in a “heated” fight between a man and woman at the weekend.
His former Cats teammate Billy Brownless revealed this morning that Brown still has no recollection of what happened to him, with his friends and family thankful the situation wasn’t worse.
“The main thing here is that he is going to be OK,” Brownless said on Triple M.
“I spoke to his wife yesterday via text and obviously she’s very upset.
“He’s conscious, he woke up, he’s got no idea what happened. He’s got a fractured skull and bleeding on the brain, but the good news is — because we know there’s shocking cases of this with the one-punch and the coward’s punch — that he’s woken up.
“He’s going to be in The Alfred for a week or so and it’s going to be a four or six-week recovery, but he’s going to be OK.”
It is alleged the attacker screamed, “What are you looking at?” before punching Brown on the head.
He fell backwards, striking his head against the concrete pavement outside a shop on Vaughan St, Shepparton, about 9.15pm on Friday.
A 19-year-old Shepparton man was arrested shortly after the attack.
He was bailed to appear before Shepparton Magistrates’ Court on January 11.
Brown was treated by paramedics for head and facial injuries, placed in a full neck brace and taken to Goulburn Valley Base Hospital.
However his condition worsened and he was rushed to The Alfred.
Today his condition was described as stable.
Brownless said he was sickened and concerned by the malicious assault.
“I feel so sad for his wife and his children … he’s such a loving family man and well loved in Shepparton.
“It’s a huge concern for all of us that such a decent bloke can be king-hit like that.”
Brown played 84 AFL games, including Geelong’s 1994 and 1995 Grand Finals.
He finished up with the Cats in 1996 after he ruptured a patella tendon, kicking 66 goals in his professional career.
Originally from Echuca, Brown is now part-owner of a trophy store in Shepparton.
Police urged any witnesses, or anyone with information, to contact Crime Stoppers at 1800 333 000.