Yarrawonga young gun Matt Casey has had a lucky escape after splitting his liver in the loss to Myrtleford on July 6.
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Casey had no idea of the extent of the injury and was more than 3000kms away in Darwin when the injury was diagnosed.
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"They (doctors) said I dodged a bullet," Casey said.
"I thought I was going in to get bruised ribs checked out and then they show you the liver is in danger and they were talking surgery.
"They were pretty surprised I wasn't spitting blood when it happened.
"It was a grade one tear and there's six (being the most serious) grades."
Casey said medical staff indicated the body had healed itself, to some degree.
"They said the liver encapsulated the blood around it, so it didn't internally bleed," he said.
The incident happened in the first quarter during a marking contest when Myrtleford ruckman Tom McDonagh crashed in from the side.
"He just split the pack, there was no malice in it, I just felt liked I was heavily winded, I didn't feel too bad," the 20-year-old said.
Casey left the field for a few minutes, but then played out the game.
He flew to the Northern Territory the next day to see his parents Martin and Loretta and went to the Royal Darwin Hospital on the Monday morning.
Casey will return home from Darwin on Tuesday, although he's unlikely to play again this season.
"They said if I copped another hit, I'd be in strife, once you get a tear in the liver, it tears pretty easily after that," he said.
The injury continues a horror run for the Pigeons with Ned Mullins breaking his thumb against the Saints.
"I'll go back to the specialists in four weeks, I didn't need surgery, which is a positive, hopefully I can sneak back, but I don't like my chances," he said.
The Pigeons sit a win and percentage behind fifth-placed Wodonga Raiders.
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