Veteran Crow stable after head surgery
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Veteran Adelaide defender Brent Reilly is in intensive care but out of immediate danger after undergoing surgery to repair a fractured skull.
Reilly was rushed to hospital via an ambulance on Monday after copping a heavy knock to his head during an accidental training collision.
The 31-year-old had a plate inserted to stabilise the fracture late on Monday, but he remains in intensive care.
The Crows released a statement saying Reilly was out of “immediate danger”, but would remain at Royal Adelaide Hospital over the next few days so they can monitor his progress.
Assistant coach David Teague said Reilly was accidentally hit by a teammate who was leading for the ball during a drill.
“It wasn’t a clash of heads, it was just a normal drill; he fell into the oncoming leader,” Teague told Adelaide radio station 5AA.
“It was a big hit but nothing we haven’t seen before.
“It was just one of those unlucky ones (where) the force hit the wrong spot at the wrong time.”
Reilly has played 203 senior games since his 2002 debut but injuries and poor form have restricted him to just 22 appearances over the past two years.
The 183cm veteran is the club’s most experienced defender following the retirement of Ben Rutten, and his likely absence during the early part of the 2015 season is a blow to the Crows.
Reilly’s injury scare comes less than three months after Test cricketer Phillip Hughes died after being struck on the head while batting in a Sheffield Shield clash.
