A Sporting Injury?

Ok, so yesterday was the AFL grand final.

Those of you in Australia please skip the next paragraph and rejoin me at *

For my non-Australian friends AFL is Australian Rules Football, the main football code for this country. I can't really explain the rules as I don't really understand them but basically each team has 18 men on the field and they all chase after an oval shaped ball and try to kick goals. There are 4 goal posts - if you kick the ball through the middle two your team gets 6 points, if you get it between the outside 2 on either side your team gets one point. Basically it's lots of sweaty men in little shorts and pretty coloured jumpers running around like idiots, usually in the rain and mud as it is a winter sport. There are lots of rules about tackling and running with the ball and stuff. It is kind of crazy to watch but lots of fun too. Yesterday was the grand final - a day when most of the country stops to watch a football game for about 3 hours, even people who don't care, whose team came last on the ladder - yes that would be our family! - and it turns grown men into teenagers (well in their dreams).

* Hubby went to a work friend's house to watch the game. There were a number of people going, mostly from work, and he was looking forward to watching the game with people who get equally as stupid and loud (sorry, excited and passionate) rather than a wife who tells him to be quiet because the baby is asleep. I was happy enough for him to go. Offspring #1 and I watched the first half - we sang the national anthem (#1 made #2 stand up for it too and explained how important the song is and why we have to sing it - very cute), cheered the teams on and clapped for goals - then I had to go do chores and #1 asked if he could watch Cars instead LOL. We did turn it back for the final nailbiting 10 minutes (For non-followers there was 1 point difference, very exciting to watch even for "non-believers" like me!). Hubby arrived home some time later gingerly nursing his wrist. Had he fallen while playing a bit of half-time footy? Had he strained it doing some hand-balls? Had he... nah, can't think of any more! His explanation? He was playing kick-to-kick with a couple of little kids who had dropped in when the ball went over the fence into the neighbouring park. Being the manly man he is he decided that rather than walk around he would jump the fence. The fence that is about 6 feet tall. So he hoisted himself up, twisted around and.... aaaggghhhhh! Pain! But could he let on? Oh no!!! So he stayed, watched the rest of the game, cheered and jeered, drank more beer and eventually wandered home for nursing and sympathy. Those who know me well will know they are in short supply at any time but when it is from doing something blatantly stupid, well... you can draw your own conclusion.

After much icing of the injured site, several painkillers and a not very comfortable night he decided that he would go to the emergency room this morning and get it checked out. The doctor doesn't think he has broken anything but wants it x-rayed to be sure. Because it is a long weekend that can't be done until tomorrow at the hospital but Hubby will probably have to wait several hours (Like 8-10 hours) and not be able to get the results till Thursday (when we were supposed to be going on a little holiday!) or wait till Tuesday, have it done at the local radiology clinic and get the results immediately. He has opted to wait until Tuesday and is hoping that it will have improved somewhat by then. Our holiday is looking iffy at best - he has limited movement of his wrist and cannot weight bear at all so towing the caravan, hitching up, unhitching and setting up the annexe look somewhat dubious. Yes, I could do most of it but not by myself and since he is unable to do much as far as helping with the kids at the moment it wouldn't be much of a break. We will wait and see over the next couple of days but I'm not very hopeful.

So is an injury that occured during a sporting event, but not a sporting event he was physically involved in, still a sporting injury? As Al from Home Improvement would say, "I don't think so, Tim!"