A Northern Territory Football League player who suffered a spinal injury during a match in Darwin is currently unable to walk, and his surgeon says it is uncertain if he will ever regain that ability.
Tai Martin-Page, 27, was injured in the first two minutes of Saturday's game at Marrara after a tackle by Wanderers player Mitchell Taylor. He was taken to Royal Darwin Hospital before being transferred to Perth for specialist treatment.
Surgeon Edward Michael Baddour of Royal Perth Hospital performed surgery on Sunday, diagnosing a dislocated cervical spine with a bi-facet dislocation and spinal cord injury. “At the moment he cannot walk or perform any voluntary movement in his legs. His hands do not work properly, but he still has movement of his shoulders and elbows,” Dr Baddour said.
Dr Baddour noted that Martin-Page remains in spinal shock and faces a tough recovery, with up to six months of rehabilitation required. He cited the case of Beau Chatley, who suffered a similar injury in 2015 and later began walking again, as a reason for hope. “There is no value in losing hope at this stage,” he said.
Martin-Page, who had recently been recruited by NT Thunder, thanked supporters on social media. His mother, Bridgit Martin, expressed gratitude for community support. The match review panel is expected to examine the incident, and Taylor was reported for front-on contact.
