Dave Hughes turns ‘near-death’ AFL injury into comedy gold for new tour

Comedian Dave Hughes has defied expectations by transforming a punctured lung and shattered ribs into his latest stand-up routine for a 36-stop tour, which includes his first Cairns show in years.

Dave Hughes is about to embark on a mammoth 36 stop national tour starting January 2026. Picture: Ian Laidlaw

Resurrected from a punctured lung and shattered ribs earlier this year, entertainment stalwart Dave Hughes has transformed a public crippling into “comedy gold” as he prepared to take on Cairns for the first time in years.

After limping off the field in an August all-star AFL match the comic, TV host and radio personality was left with fluid on his lungs and stuck in a Melbourne ICU for days, where he said sneezing sneeze felt like someone smashing a “suicide button.”

Dave Hughes is seen in the huddle at three-quarter time during the 2025 AFL Legends Match for Prostate Cancer match at Marvel Stadium on August 28, 2025 in Melbourne, Australia. Photo: Dylan Burns/AFL Photos via Getty Images

Dave Hughes in intensive care at Cabrini Hospital. Picture: Instagram

But after the all clear from his doctor Mr Hughes is set to embark on a mammoth 36 stop national tour including a Cairns show on February 20.

Emerging as a dole bludging talent in the 1990s the comic said he never lost the thrill of performing, making a career of “converting people.”

“I just love stand-up comedy more than anything probably five nights a week I’m on stage, so which just makes me better, makes me feel more comfortable,” he said.

“A lot of people come to the shows and go f**k, my friend dragged me to this, I didn’t think you were very funny, but now I do.

“I’m converting people, its conversion therapy anyone who hates me, I can change their mind.”

Now 55 and with a full family, the comics material has evolved.

But Mr Hughes said he has never run out of content.

“My stand-up act has changed from being on the dole without a girlfriend, to now having three kids, a beautiful wife … so its different but it’s still funny.

“Over the years, people always say you’re going run out of funny things to talk about but life is always funny,” he said.

“It’s f*****g ridiculous, no one knows for sure what we’re doing on this planet, and why we bother so there’s just a ridiculousness wherever you look.

AFL Comedian Dave Hughes gets bumped over by Ex West Coast Eagle Andrew Embley at AFL charity match. Picture: Michael Klein

Far from the big stages of Melbourne and Sydney the comedians newest tour stops along regional hugs like Toowoomba, Cairns and Port Macquarie.

Mr Hughes said he hadn’t been to the Far North in years but couldn’t wait to tell everyone how his on embarrassing on field performance really went down.

“You get to hear exactly how that went down … the whole lot, my ego, my stupidity.... how I’ve turned that near-death experience into comedy gold,” he said.

“ I haven’t really done enough regional tours, so I want to get some more places in Australia and I haven’t been to Cairns for a while so I’m very excited about that.”

Originally published as Dave Hughes turns ‘near-death’ AFL injury into comedy gold for new tour