NRL 2024: Tom Gilbert speaks about developing a life-threatening blood clot

Dolphins star Tom Gilbert insists he will fight his way back into the NRL after overcoming a potentially life-threatening blood clot.

Dolphins forward Tom Gilbert recovering at home after suffering a serious knee injury in New Zealand and then a blood clot on the flight home. Brighton Saturday 23rd March 2024 Picture David Clark

Maroons enforcer Tom Gilbert has vowed to fight his way back into the NRL stronger than ever after a potentially life-threatening blood clot left the Dolphins star in limbo.

Gilbert is currently awaiting a medical clearance to undergo a major knee reconstruction after suffering a season-ending injury last month that triggered a serious health problem.

The Dolphins forward’s right knee buckled in a pre-season trial against the Warriors in New Zealand on February 24, scans later revealing an anterior cruciate ligament rupture among numerous injuries.

However Gilbert’s recovery took a turn for the worse when he developed deep vein thrombosis (DVT) following the four-hour plane journey back to Brisbane.

Tom Gilbert suffered a serious knee injury in a trial against the Warriors last month. Picture: NRL Photos

The blood clot in his calf responded to early intervention and medication, but Gilbert soon found himself in hospital after it spread to his lungs – a condition that can be fatal in extreme cases.

Gilbert’s problem was detected quickly by Dolphins medical staff and emergency doctors and he is now on the road to recovery, but cannot undergo surgery until he is cleared of the clotting problem, which could take months.

“I was in the cardiac ward in hospital and there were a lot of people worse off and older than me,” Gilbert said.

“I was thinking ‘oh god, I’m 23 and in here’.

“It was a little scary but I was in good hands. I don’t really know how much worse it could have been.”

Dolphins forward Tom Gilbert recovering at home after suffering a serious knee injury in New Zealand and then a blood clot on the flight home. Picture David Clark

Gilbert, 23, was a foundation signing for the Dolphins last year, joining the NRL expansion club from the Cowboys on the back of making his State of Origin debut for Queensland in 2022.

He started the 2023 season on fire and was once again picked for the Maroons, only to suffer a shoulder injury in the first game of the Origin series which brought his debut Dolphins season to an end after 11 matches.

Following nine months on the sidelines recovering from shoulder surgery, Gilbert returned to the field in this year’s pre-season trials, only to have his 2024 NRL premiership aspirations crushed before the season officially started when his knee buckled.

“When you’re lying on the ground with a pain in your knee you think straight away about what it could be,” Gilbert said.

“I thought I dislocated it because I felt a pop and crack. I knew it wasn’t good and I’ve seen in the past how accurate the tests are.

“They said straight away it was my ACL. I was shattered.”

Gilbert suffered a shoulder injury last year. NRL Imagery

Surgery to repair an ACL rupture generally brings with it at least a nine-month recovery. Gilbert also tore his lateral and medial meniscus along with the medial collateral ligament and had significant bone bruising and swelling.

He barely slept a minute that night in Auckland as he digested the news that he wouldn’t play an NRL game in 2024 and just wanted to get home to wife Maddie and family in Brisbane.

“When I fly for games I always wear compression gear, get up and move around the plane,” Gilbert said.

“I didn’t even think about it this time. Moving around would have hurt so I wouldn’t have been inclined to do that.

“I didn’t sleep well the night before and was in pain. My idea was to try and get some sleep on the plane.

“I had a lot of swelling and then flying is higher risk for clots.

“I had a bit of pain over the next couple of days that referred down to my Achilles. I thought nothing of it, but our doctor and physio thought I should get checked for DVT.

“It turned out there was a blood clot in my calf. We got on it early, started the medication straight away and the pain started to go.

The Dolphins have stitched a tribute to Tom Gilbert into their jerseys for the 2024 NRL season. Credit: Supplied.

“About a week later the pain came back and I had some flu-like symptoms. We got checked again and the clot in my leg had gone, but it travelled into my lungs.

“I had about 24 hours in hospital. I was considered low-risk and quite manageable but there’s been a delay in the knee surgery because of it.

“I was very lucky our doctors and physios were cautious and took the right approach after I said I didn’t feel right.”

Gilbert is still taking anti-clotting medication and hoping no longer than three months passes before he can undergo surgery. He is awaiting a clearance from a specialist before he can go under the knife.

As it stands, he will likely already miss the start of the 2025 NRL season and edge towards two years between competition games.

But the lock forward is adamant this won’t be the end of him.

The Dolphins signed Gilbert until the end of 2028 last year and have stitched “TG13” into their playing jerseys for this season, giving him even more motivation to come back stronger than ever.

“The Dolphins have shown a real commitment to me,” he said.

“Last year I was fortunate to get a contract extension and the plan was to have a good time frame to work really hard and help the club be successful. Now I can’t do that this year but the motivation is still there.

“The gesture from the club to put my initials on the jersey will never be lost on me. I shed a few tears when I found out about it.

“I haven’t been able to contribute to the team since May last year and that really means a lot to me. It’s tough watching from the sidelines but it’s really motivated me.

“When I come back it will be a great representation of teamwork. It’s a team of people that will get me back.

“Everyone will be talking about me when I return, but it’s going to be about the team. I’m so lucky I’m at the Dolphins with these people and back home with my family.”

Originally published as NRL 2024: Tom Gilbert speaks about developing a life-threatening blood clot