Former NRL front-rower Lloyd Perrett is set to take legal action against the Manly club after suffering a life-threatening seizure at training in 2017.
Perrett was rushed to hospital in an unconscious state and his football career was effectively over after he collapsed during a water-deprived training run in the heat of summer.
"I didn't want to do this but I felt like everything in my life got taken from me," Perrett, now aged 29, told Wide World of Sports.
READ MORE: Demetriou sacked as Bunnies axe battling coach
READ MORE: 'Disappointed' Swans hit back after damning vision
READ MORE: Big win for Manly as skipper's judiciary streak continues
"It was gone in an instant and I am still feeling the effects – mentally and physically.
"Taking legal action has been dangled in front of me since it all happened but my manager at the time said 'you'll win but never play footy again'… so I held off.
"I think the result of the Keith Titmuss inquiry (the Manly player who died after a training session) was the final straw.
"That's when I decided to take action. When I heard Keith died from heatstroke, I cried like a baby.
"My psychologist told me it was a condition called 'survivor's guilt' – because I knew that could have been me.
Watch the 2024 NRL premiership live and free on Nine and 9Now.
"We went on a run, weren't allowed any water and told 'if you don't like it, you can take your car keys to the field and go home'.
"Coaches and trainers do this regularly – try to see how tough you are.
"We had a run, then a short break, then got sent on another run… again without water, then a third run.
"I guess my mind was stronger than my body. I don't remember what happened – I collapsed and woke up in hospital with around seven doctors and nurses around me… I thought I was going to die.
"I couldn't move my arms or legs … I've never been more scared.
"I was literally on my death bed … and it was 100 per cent avoidable.
"A nurse later told me that 60 per cent of people who get heat stroke die … I was one of the lucky ones."
Perrett was just 23 at the time but his career was over.
"I stayed at Manly but was never the same," he said.
"That year I was in the emerging Queensland Origin team but Manly made me pull out – they said it would be an embarrassment to the club because I wasn't up to it.
"At one stage the following year Manly sent me a breach notice – said I wasn't up to standard physically – they met with me, I told them what happened under the previous training staff and they tried to help me with the club doctor.
"I was getting blood tests, they showed I had poor liver, kidney and thyroid markers.
"All they could do was give me drugs that would be performance enhancing. That was the end.
"At one stage I went to see Phil Gould – he wanted me at Penrith – I told him what happened to me at Manly and he shook his head in disgust.
"I am doing this (taking legal action) to set a standard for the players – to let trainers and coaches know that some things are unacceptable.
"I'm sure plenty of blokes have been put through 'torture training' and don't come out the other side … it breaks them.
"I still get angry about it today.
"It's hard for me to watch footy – I knew I had the talent to be there.
"A lot of my teammates are having great careers now – that could have been me.
"I'm embarrassed about how my career ended."
Perrett is being represented by a Brisbane law firm, Carter Capner.
"We believe we have discovered a connection between the training routines through which he was being put at the time and his subsequent physical condition and evidence those routines were unsafe," Peter Carter, the firm's Legal Practice Director, claimed.
"We are still in the investigation phase and expect to be in a position to file proceedings in the NSW Supreme Court in the coming months."
Manly declined to comment as they have no knowledge of the pending action.
It should be emphasised that none of the coaches or trainers involved in Perrett's case are still at the club.
Leave a Reply
You must be logged in to post a comment.