St Kilda defender Dylan Roberton hopes to miss only one AFL game as doctors work out why he collapsed.
Roberton was released from Geelong’s Epworth Hospital late on Monday afternoon.
He will continue to undergo tests in the wake of Sunday’s scary incident during the loss Geelong.
Roberton will definitely miss Saturday’s game against GWS at Etihad Stadium.
“This week I’m ruled out, just as a precaution,” Roberton said.
“I will do all the testing and then hopefully, back on the track next week.
“It was a bit of a scare, probably more so for family and friends. I was fine straight away.”
Roberton has limited memory of what happened.
In the second term, he was standing on the edge of the square at a centre bounce when he suddenly collapsed.
“I just remember watching the ball go up and getting dizzy but that’s about it,” Roberton said.
Roberton will not play again until he has a clean bill of health.
“That’s all we know at this stage – thereafter, there are a number of tests to undertake as standard procedure for any heart-related issues, that will take one to two weeks,” said Saints football manager Simon Lethlean.
“HIs health is obviously the main priority for us.
“He’s feeling well, feeling alert.”
Doctors remain unsure what caused the incident, but the likely culprit is some sort of heart abnormality.
“I guess what Dylan reported was dizziness and a blackout,” Lethlean said.
“He was then tested on the bench by our very experienced doctors, who thought there was probably some irregularity in his heartbeat.
“It could be a viral issue, it could be anything, but obviously the heart one is the one to take a good look at.”
Lethlean said the defender had not reported any related health issues ahead of the match and had not suffered any major knocks earlier in the match.
Teammates and club medical staff quickly went to Roberton and he was able to walk from the field.
“Hopefully it’s a one-off event and it doesn’t happen again,” Lethlean said.
The Saints football boss added that Roberton was dealing with the scare well.
“He’s a pretty relaxed character, Dylan, so he headed off the ground and told a few people that he was feeling a bit dazed and a bit bleary-eyed,” Lethlean said.
“You don’t get that much more from Dylan about that sort of stuff, he’s a pretty casual, professional guy.
“He’ll deal with it accordingly … he’s a pro.”
The Saints have kept Roberton’s worried teammates updated on the aftermath of his collapse.
“They were a bit shaken up, as you would be if you see a mate go down like that,” Lethlean said.