Jesse Robertson tells the story of life and rugby league

Boilermaker Jesse Robertson had to be brought back to life three times after he and his mate were in a near-fatal crash near Maryborough. This is his story of survival and redemption.

Jesse Robertson and the burnt out wreckage of the after it rolled, nearly killing him.

Wallaroos rugby league player Jesse Robertson has no memories of the car crash that almost killed him, but his injuries are a lasting reminder of just how lucky he was.

The then 18-year-old “died” and was revived three times when he rolled his vehicle in a single-vehicle crash on the Maryborough-Biggenden Rd at Oakhurst on May 28, 2016.

He was brought back to life first in the ambulance, then in the helicopter flying him to Royal Brisbane Hospital, and then again when he reached RBH.

He was placed in an induced coma and subsequently lost his spleen, the hearing in his right ear and broke his right elbow as well as receiving some burns to his body.

Three metal plates were inserted in his elbow, along with more than 20 screws.

26/04/2023 - Jesse Robertson in action soon after returning to play rugby league for the Wallaroos. Picture: Alastair Brightman

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The 25-year-old was expected to spend months in recovery and there were fears he would not play again, but he was remarkably back in the game the following year.

Robertson is next week set to play his first game of this season for his beloved Wallaroos, where his dad is president and his younger brother Bailey, 21, is the half-back.

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Fittingly, his return to action after yet another operation, will be against local rivals Hervey Bay Seagulls, and Robertson said he could not wait to play again and said the Wallaroos family as well as his mum, dad and brother had helped him through the past few years.

“I am lucky to be alive and still playing the game that you love, I suppose,” he said.

“I was looking pretty bad there for a while. I was in a pretty bad way for a few weeks.

“And then it was pretty much a three to four-month recovery where I couldn’t move much.

26/04/2023 - The wreckage of Jesse Robertson’s car following his near-fatal crash. Picture: supplied

“It’s pretty special after all that, not just to be playing footy but to be playing A grade footy competitively.

“Everyone has helped me through it.”

Despite his off-field struggles, Robertson was determined to play again regularly.

With all his injuries, it would have been easy for the front-rower to quit, but the thought of playing with family members, kept him going.

“Because there was an infection, I just had an operation and had one of the metal plates and seven screws removed,” he said.

“That’s what I will be coming back from this time.

Jesse Robertson

“I was worried about having the plate removed and was thinking ‘will I be strong enough?’.

“But the doctors said it looked OK. It took a bit longer than I would have liked but I am all good again now.

“Bailey is playing half back for us at the moment and it’s really good playing with him and that’s definitely one of the motivations for me to keep playing footy.

“The old boy is pretty happy that I am back playing footy,” Robertson added.

“He loves the game, he’s president of the club and he’s been on the bench for us.

“Playing with him is one thing I have always wanted to do. I am not sure whether that will happen but we will see.

“Hopefully one day we can get a game together.”

Robertson, who works as a boilermaker in the family business in Maryborough, lost his driving licence for nine months for drinking and driving following the crash that almost killed him.

A mate who was also in the vehicle that rolled, escaped with minor injuries and Robertson urged others to do the right thing.

“I would advise others, especially young people, not to make the same mistake as me,” he said.

“A lot has gone wrong but I am also very lucky to be where I am.

“It could have been a lot worse, that’s for sure, and at one stage it looked like it would be.”

Originally published as Jesse Robertson tells the story of life and rugby league