Braveheart

By Jarrod Potter
JUST weeks ago, Troy Wright was fighting for his life.
On Sunday, the Narre Warren North spearhead watched his mates win a premiership – a game he would’ve played in if not for a genetic defect.
It nearly killed him then, but in hindsight, doing it on a footy field probably saved him.
After collapsing on field – during the Foxes’ 15 July Friday night match against the Narre South Lions –Troy was rushed to hospital and had a cardiac arrest in the ambulance en route, due to a squashed artery in his heart cutting off blood and oxygen to his brain.
He was stabilised by paramedics and the following Friday, Wright underwent a double-bypass to fix the artery.
“I just passed out and lost blood to my brain and other parts of my body, because my heart wasn’t pumping,” Troy said.
“Then I had a cardiac arrest, and then they (the paramedics) got it beating again and took me to hospital.”
“I had the double bypass and it hasn’t been too bad ever since.”
Troy’s father Paul, who is also Narre North Foxes’ president, said that while watching his son collapse was traumatic, seeing the team win the grand final was a nice way to finish off a difficult year for the family.
“It was really scary,” Paul said. “It’s something you don’t ever want to go through.
“(But) it’s really good to see the boys win.
“Troy is a big part of the team because he is the full forward of the side and had kicked 20 goals in 10 games.
“He’s done really well and deserves his medal.”
Troy was presented with a medal alongside his team-mates in Narre North Foxes’ Under-14 Division Three premiership victory over Narre Warren.
While he wasn’t allowed to play in the grand final on medical reasons, Wright was thrilled to see the Foxes take the win.
“It was hard to sit on the sidelines,” Troy said. “I wanted to play but I wasn’t allowed because the doctors didn’t let me.
“I was pretty happy to see them win.”
“They played a pretty good game and then we got on top in the last five minutes and kicked away.”
Plans for 2012 for Troy are to return to the field and maybe see the team get back to a grand final, this time with him on the field.
“I’m going to play next year,” Troy said.
“We can try if we can (to make another grand final), but if we don’t make it then that’s what happens.”