Hello fans:
St Kilda forward Justin Koschitzke has been hospitalised after collapsing during a live segment on Channel Seven's Sportsworld on Sunday morning.
23-year-old Koschitzke was the guest panellist on the program's regular AFL segment with former Demons star David Schwarz. Koschitzke had just told Schwarz that his recovery from a fractured skull was ahead of schedule and ready to return to play in two weeks' time, when he slurred his words and his eyes rolled. He stumbled backwards and his head hit a board as he fell to the ground.
Seven immediately cut away from the interview back to shocked host Johanna Griggs in Sydney. (While the program is produced in Sydney, the AFL segment is filmed live on the balcony of Seven's Melbourne studios, located next door to Telstra Dome and AFL headquarters – Johnson)
An ambulance was called to the station at around 10.15am. Channel Ten reporter Kelli Underwood later told ABC Radio that she saw Koschitzke telling station staff that he was embarrassed by the incident, before walking to the ambulance on his own.
Koschitzke was taken to the Epworth Hospital for a scan. His partner Alicia, and his manager and former Cat Liam Pickering arrived at around noon, but there was no sign of his teammates nor coach Grant Thomas.
Schwarz was interviewed by Griggs not long after the incident, and he said Koschitzke appeared to be OK.
"He got a bit of a knock to the head but he is fine," Schwarz was quoted as telling Griggs. "The medicos did come and assess how he was feeling, what he thought about the day and if he could remember how he got here.
"The good news for Justin and his family is he is going to hospital but the signs are good.
"He will be OK, he does have a little bit of memory loss.
"The medicos are just saying he fainted and lost a fair bit of blood pressure but he'll be OK."
Schwarz said before he had collapsed live on air, Koschitzke had been looking forward to joining his St Kilda teammates on their mid-season break in Bonnie Doon, in north-east Victoria, for a week-long camp. Schwarz said Koschitzke arrived at the studios with his partner Alicia and was in a buoyant mood.
Associate Professor of Sports Medicine at the University of Melbourne, Peter Brukner, said the incident was probably un-related to Koschitzke's fractured skull, which he suffered after a collision with Bulldogs player Daniel Giansiracusa in the Round 6 clash at Telstra Dome.
Dr Brukner said Koschitzke might have been a bit dehydrated, or had a viral infection or had a low blood sugar content.
Story sources: 3AW, ABC Radio, Herald Sun website
Johnson Leung
AFANA journalist
Melbourne
Article last changed on Sunday, June 18, 2006 - 9:18 PM EDT
