Essendon’s Matt Guelfi taken to Perth hospital in a taxi in bizarre scenes at Perth Stadium

File this under things you never thought you’d see: an AFL player has been taken to hospital in a taxi — not an ambulance — but a sports doctor has thrown his support behind the move.

Matt Guelfi after colliding with the Perth Stadium fence. Picture: Getty

Essendon says injured player Matt Guelfi was never at risk of further damage despite the curious sight of him being sent to hospital in a taxi on Thursday night.

Perth Stadium had an ambulance ready after Guelfi suffered suspected rib damage but instead Guelfi and his parents jumped into a cab with the club welfare officer.

John Worsfold said Guelfi would normally have waited for scans until the next day and would have driven himself to the X-ray clinic.

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Instead, the quickest and most convenient way to get him to hospital was a taxi so the club could clear him of major damage and allow him to fly home.

Guelfi was cleared of any structural damage and flew home with the team ahead of next Thursday’s clash against GWS.

West Coast defender Jeremy McGovern has been offered a one-match ban for rough conduct after pushing Guelfi into the fence.

The Dons are unsure if Jake Stringer (knee) will be available for that clash, with the star forward not close to playing in the loss that put the Dons 6-7.

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Matt Guelfi after colliding with the Perth Stadium fence. Picture: Getty

Commentator Brian Taylor said the taxi episode was unacceptable, while Melbourne champion Garry Lyon wondered what happened if the taxi driver crashed and cause more damage.

Respected sports medico Peter Larkins said it was a common sense solution, as much as it looked bizarre.

“If someone is unwell and need medical in transit or has an issue with breathing or has a bad fracture that needs stabilising the protocol is always to use the trained paramedic service,” he said

“But if it’s the case of an elective check-up for a scan where the patient is stable it’s not unheard of. You wouldn’t just send a player off with only the cab driver. It’s unusual but not inappropriate if a player is in a stable situation.

“The doctor has enough judgment to know if a player is in really substantial pain you aren’t going around in a normal car.”

Guelfi was sent for scans after the first-quarter incident.

Matt Guelfi was taken to hospital in a taxi. Picture: Fox Footy

Essendon confirmed during the third quarter Guelfi would not return before the 21-year-old was seen leaving Perth Stadium in a taxi.

AFL players sent to hospital for scans and treatment are usually transported in an ambulance.

Essendon football boss Dan Richardson was unfazed by questions over the club’s chosen mode of transport.

“His mum and dad, (Guelfi) being from Perth, they’re over here and are with him at the moment as is our welfare manager, so he’s in good care,” he told Channel 7.

“He’s pretty sore through the ribs and abdominal area, so we’ve just sent him off to hospital to get checked out.

“It’s not like an emergency or anything, just with the travel and flight back we want to make sure he’s OK and it’s nothing too serious.”

Former Collingwood and Richmond forward Brian Taylor slammed Essendon’s decision to call a taxi rather than take Guelfi to hospital in an ambulance.

“Unusual way to transport a player,” he said.

“I don’t think it’s acceptable.

Guelfi needed treatment from Essendon’s medical staff before heading to hospital. Picture: Getty

“If I was part of the (AFL) Players’ Association I wouldn’t allow that to be a precedent.

“It wasn’t even one of the nice ones.

“I would bet he’d have to fork out 10 bucks at the other end.

“It’s just not good enough.”

North Melbourne champion Wayne Carey agreed.

“It didn’t look right did it?” he said.

Essendon coach John Worsfold defended the club’s decision, declaring a taxi was the quickest way to get Guelfi to hospital.

“If this game was in Melbourne, Guelfi wouldn’t have gone to hospital,” he said. “He would have had scans the day after.

“Given we fly back tomorrow, we needed him to have scans ASAP, so a taxi was the best option to get him to hospital as quick as possible.”

Collingwood president Eddie McGuire backed the Bombers doctor.

“The doctors know what they’re doing, so give them the benefit of the doubt,” he said on Fox Footy.

But he questioned what the taxi driver could do if the situation escalated.

“What if he has a punctured lung? What if he has a relapse?” he said.

Melbourne champion Garry Lyon raised concerns over the safety of the taxi.

“I’ll say this, and you never, ever question the doctor (because) they know what they’re doing, the taxi driver is not in a position to be transporting people who have been injured in a game of footy,” he said.

“What if he crashes the car?

“We’re all insured for ambulance rides, chuck him in the ambulance.”

Worsfold was unsure of the severity of Guelfi’s injuries post-game.

“He’s getting some scans or X-rays, I’m not sure exactly what, just to check if he’s got any injury to his abdominal area,” he said.

“He felt as though he hurt his back and neck in the crash, so they’re just double-checking that so we can find out whether he’s OK to fly home. That’s the main thing — he’s going to catch a plane tomorrow, so we need to know that’s all safe for him.”