Aaron Bunch Journalist with Australian Associated Press | Collection of published work | + 61 484 008 119 | abunch@aap.com.au

Aaron Bunch
AFL season over for St Kilda’s Roberton

St Kilda AFL defender Dylan Roberton says he’s unlikely to play again in 2018 but hopes further tests will work out why he collapsed.

May 3, 2018

Dylan Roberton is unlikely to play in the AFL again this year as doctors attempt to find what caused the St Kilda defender’s mid-game collapse.

The defender, who spent the night in hospital following his collapse off the ball in round four, says doctors are unsure of the cause of his heart-rhythm problems and he would require further tests.

“There’s a rhythm problem going on in my heart on the electrical side of things, we’re still not sure why it happens, so I’ll still be out for the meantime,” he said on Thursday.

“I probably won’t be back again this year but I am hoping at the end of this three months to get back to exercising and hopefully finish off the year back training with the boys.”

The 26-year-old said further testing and monitoring, which has involved a device being implanted in his chest, would take around three months.

“Sort of like the size of a battery, just in my chest. It just feeds in what my heart is doing to the doctors and all their computers so they’ll be able to pick up what’s happening,” he said.

“With the testing, they’ll be able to put all that information together and make a decision going forward.”

Robertson said his collapse and the testing of his heart had put things in perspective.

“Footy means a lot to me but obviously being healthy and being there for my kids is the most important thing,” he said.

Coach Alan Richardson said Robertson would join the Saints’ coaching staff while the testing took place.

“He’s a coach … hopefully just for this year. He’s got a great footy brain Robbo. He’s got really good relationships with the boys.

“So that’s going to be his lot for a while,” he said.

“We’re really hopeful and optimistic that at the back end of this three-months he gets the all-clear and away we go – we take the whistle back and he puts his footy boots on.”

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