AFL greats question Essendon's decision to send Matt Guelfi to hospital via taxi

Ben Madden

AFL greats question Essendon's decision to send Matt Guelfi to hospital via taxi image

Eyebrows were raised over the decision to send Essendon player Matt Guelfi to hospital in a taxi, rather than an ambulance.

Guelfi was concussed in an incident with West Coast's Jeremy McGovern during West Coast's 35-point win over the Bombers at Optus Stadium, where McGovern pushed Guelfi into the fence.



The incident could see McGovern face the Match Review Panel.

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Post-match, John Worsfold defended the decision to use a taxi.

“It’s not the protocol to put the non-emergency situation in the ambulance at the ground, that needs to be here for an emergency," Worsfold said.

“If we were going to use it for a non-emergency, we would have had to wait for another ambulance to come and be here. So the taxi was the quickest and best option.”

However, AFL greats Brian Taylor and Garry Lyon were both less than impressed, saying an ambulance would have been a much better option.

“I don’t think it’s acceptable. If I was part of the (AFL) Players’ Association I wouldn’t allow that to be a precedent," Taylor said.

“It wasn’t even one of the nice ones. I would bet he’d have to fork out 10 bucks at the other end.”

Lyon echoed these sentiments.

“I’ll say this, and you never, ever question the doctor (because) they know what they’re doing, the taxi driver is not in a position to be transporting people who have been injured in a game of footy,” Lyon said.

“What if he crashes the car? We’re all insured for ambulance rides, chuck him in the ambulance.”

In his post-match conference, Worsfold confirmed that Guelfi was suffering neck and back pain from the incident.

“He’s getting some scans or X-rays, I’m not sure exactly what, just to check if he’s got any injury to his upper abdominal area,” he said.

“He felt as if he’d hurt his back and neck in the crash, so they’re just double-checking that so we can find out if he’s OK to fly home.

“That’s the main thing, he’s going to catch a plane tomorrow, we need to know that’s all safe for him."

Ben Madden