Dad’s tribute to Castlemaine player Dallas Keogh-Frankling who died after footy game

The father of the teenage boy who died suddenly after a country footy game in the state’s central west has revealed he held his son’s hand before he died.

Castlemaine Football player Dallas Keogh-Frankling who died shortly after losing consciousness following the football game.

The father of the teenage boy who died suddenly after a country footy game on Saturday afternoon in the state’s central west says his son would want his teammates to keep playing the sport despite what happened.

Castlemaine Football Netball Club player Dallas Keogh-Frankling got up immediately after being tackled during the away game at Kyneton Showgrounds but his eyes later rolled back in his head and he collapsed in the change rooms.

His heartbroken family told the Herald Sun, Dallas was perfectly healthy and had no pre-existing medical conditions.

Dallas’ father Mark Frankling said he wanted the coroner to investigate and provide answers as to how the 17-year-old died.

“I told them I want to find out what happened, because I don’t want this to happen to anyone else,” he said.

Dallas Keogh-Frankling lived and breathed footy.

“I don’t want this to happen to any other kid, I don’t think Dallas would want this either.

“But I want only good things to come from this.

“Dallas would still want them to play footy instead of not playing footy.

“That’s life, things can happen, accidents can happen, I just don’t want this to affect the footy club.”

Mr Frankling said his son was about to kick the ball when he was tackled towards the end of the last quarter of the under-18s game between the Castlemaine Magpies and Kyneton Tigers.

“Late in the last quarter he was tackled on the boundary line by two people,” he said.

“His arms were pinned and he landed on the ball next to the gates where people come onto the field.”

Mr Frankling said Dallas got up “straight away” but was clutching at “his guts” before he went to sit on the bench.

“I went over to check if he was all right and I said ‘shit, you might have broken ribs’,” Mr Frankling said.

But he said after the coach later finished speaking in the change room Dallas’s condition changed completely.

“I looked over and saw his face was in a bit of pain, and I asked him if he was all right,” he said.

“His eyes rolled in the back of his head, I yelled for the ambulance, and then he came to.”

Mr Frankling said his son’s face looked “grey”.

“I thought he would be OK by the time he got to the hospital,” he said.

“I followed the ambulance there.”

But he said as he pulled up to Kyneton Hospital he saw paramedics working on resuscitating Dallas.

“He then came back and then he flat lined again,” Mr Frankling said.

Dallas was due to be flown to be flown to Melbourne for further treatment but died before being transferred.

“They worked again on bringing him back. I held his hand and it felt cold. After an hour-and-a-half, they couldn’t bring him back,” Mr Frankling said.

Mr Frankling said his son lived and breathed AFL, always getting up early to play.

“I was such a proud father. He was just growing up so well, he loved his footy, he was up at 6 o’clock in the morning ready to play footy. He loved it, he lived it,” he said.

“It’s still hard to comprehend I won’t be driving him to footy, and him telling me what he’s going to do today.

“He was just a great kid. There was never a bad word about him. He had great people around him, quiet and polite.

“It’s a real, real shame. I don’t want bad things to come from this.”

Mr Frankling said his son was a mad Bombers supporter and “hopefully he’s still watching them from above”.

Victoria Police said the matter was “not being treated as suspicious”.

The Magpies said they would be supporting Dallas’ family and the wider football community that had been “rocked” by his death.

“The Castlemaine Football & Netball Club extend our heartfelt sympathies to Dallas’s family, in particular his parents Mark and Regina, his brother Ashton, and extended family who are a significant part of our Club and its history,” a statement posted to social media on Sunday night read.

“Our Club community has understandably been rocked by this tragedy and have spent time together over the past two days supporting each other and will continue to do so over the coming weeks and months.

“Dallas loved his football, he loved his Club, and he loved his team mates. It is unfathomable to us that he is gone. At the behest of his family, training will continue to be offered this week to honour the fact that he would never want his death to dampen our love of the game.

“Our focus is now on Dallas’s family, his team mates, friends and our wider Club community as we process his loss and come to terms with our collective grief.”