Coleambally backman Tom Morton endured a hellish few hours last Saturday on what was an afternoon of torture for the Blues.
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In the third quarter against Barellan, with his team having just fallen behind, Morton leapt into the air in defence.
He came crashing down, and wouldn't move for a good hour.
"I jumped up into the air going back with the flight and I heard a crack in the air," Morton said.
"I hit the ground and went to run. I looked down and my leg just folded up underneath me. I lay there for an hour on the ground waiting for the ambos."
Morton broke the tibia and fibula, about 10 centimetres above the ankle.
If there's any good fortune in such an injury, it's that they were clean breaks.
But with Coleambally's ambulances all on jobs at Griffith, he had to wait for one from Jerilderie. It arrived without a green whistle but he was eventually able to be administered painkillers.
He was then taken to Griffith for x-rays before being transferred to Wagga late on Saturday night.
Morton underwent surgery on Sunday afternoon, with a steel rod inserted and the early indications are that the operation has been a success.
The long wait for an ambulance forced an early end to the Coleambally-Barellan game.
AFL rules stipulate a game that is unable to recommence within 30 minutes of an interruption is deemed to be over. If two quarters have been played, the scores stand as the final result. (If it's before half-time, the game is declared drawn).
Morton is still kicking himself for giving away a couple of free kicks in the crucial third quarter.
Now recovering back at home, the 2017 club best-and-fairest hasn't ruled out trying to get to Ardlethan to be in support for this Saturday's game against the Northern Jets.
"He's still in a bit of pain but he's staying positive and getting around the team - he reckons he's coming to the footy on the weekend," Coleambally co-coach Curtis Steele said.
"A few of the boys have been in touch with him and we'll make sure that if he needs anything, we'll be there.
"He's one of those blokes we love around the club. He puts a smile on everyone's face when he's around. So it's disappointing."
Steele is cursing Coleambally's run of bad luck with Morton's injury another chapter in a disrupted and disastrous season.
The top three hopefuls are heading into round nine with just one win in their seven games.
An opportunity went begging against Barellan last week, firstly when they couldn't kick straight - down 5.2 to 2.11 - and then when there was no last quarter to recover.
"I wouldn't say we were the best team for the day but we had a lot more possession and just missed our opportunities which is a kick in the guts when we probably should've won, but that happens I suppose," Steele said.
"It was different. Because every other week when we've got it down forward we've converted but we've struggled to get it down there.
"And they weren't all hard shots. I think we were just all having an off day and Mort just topped it off."
Steele is hoping to recover from a hamstring strain in time to play the Jets but Guy Orton remains out.
"Obviously they've shown their potential, they've won a few games," Steele said of the Jets, who could move back into the top five with a win.
"We'll need to be on our best game to beat them over there at home."
Morton is one of Coleambally's most important and the loss of the Farrer League representative player will be hard to cover. Steele said Tom Groves might have the task across half-back of trying to turn the Jets around.
"He can play a similar role to Morto of cutting the ball off and he reads the play well," Steele said.
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