AS far as inspirational comeback stories go in the Bendigo Football Netball League, it's hard to top that of Sandhurst's Sean O'Farrell.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
In late-November last year O'Farrell suffered a heart attack while on a Saturday morning training run around Lake Weeroona.
Now less than 10 months later O'Farrell is preparing to play on BFNL grand final day when he lines up for the Dragons' reserves against Eaglehawk at the QEO this Saturday.
It was November 26 last year when O'Farrell suffered his heart attack at Lake Weeroona.
But on a recovery journey that started with the initial steps of returning to his passion for working out in the gym, the 23-year-old has made an inspiring comeback to football that now has the chance of being capped with a premiership on Saturday.
"It has been very different to a lot of other injuries I've had because it's not what you expect to happen to someone so young and I've had to take a very different approach," O'Farrell said this week in reflecting on his path back to the football field.
It has been very different to a lot of other injuries I've had because it's not what you expect to happen to someone so young and I've had to take a very different approach
- Sean O'Farrell
"The initial diagnosis was thought to be Long QT syndrome, which is a rhythmic disorder and causes your heart rate to spike chaotically. After some further tests there has been so signs of it of late, but I do have to have some more tests done in Melbourne.
"I spent a week in hospital after it happened and then the next two weeks I spent a lot of time just resting and that was obviously a tough couple of weeks... you run out of things to do pretty quickly.
"When I broke my hand last year I was still able to take a very active approach in terms of running, but when it comes to this, I wasn't running for months.
"It probably sounds a bit silly, but I went back to the gym about three weeks after it happened and started lifting light weights again to ease back into it.
"At that moment in time the gym was at the top of the list of what I wanted to get back into because I love going to the gym... I'm there every day at Fit Republic in Golden Square.
"Getting back into the gym really helped me get some enjoyment back into the day and able to get out of the house for a while.
"I then went back to work (at Daco Kitchens) early January and again, that gave me a bit more normality back."
Back at work as a cabinet maker and back into his daily gym routine, the next step for O'Farrell in his recovery arrived when the Dragons re-started their pre-season training in January.
"When the boys started training again in the new year I'd go along and have a look; it was good to get around the boys again and they were all great in their support, which gave me some reassurance," O'Farrell said.
"I was catching up my with cardiologist fairly regularly and he outlined the steps I could take in terms of some light jogging initially and making sure my heart rate wasn't getting up too high.
"I reckon it was around March when I started doing some very light running of laps and kicking a few footys around, which gave me enough to do while I was at training.
"I wasn't going along to training very consistently at that time... I'd go one night and then miss a few nights. At that stage I was more just going along to support the boys because I really didn't think I'd get back playing footy this year.
"And to be honest, at the time I probably wasn't committing myself fully to wanting to get back either and was probably just going through the motions a bit.
"But as time went along my cardiologist (Dr. Voltaire Nadurata) tended to give me good feedback and everything was going smoothly. So that gave me the licence to start going a bit harder and I was able to continue to build up weekly."
During July O'Farrell - whose was resuscitated by Bendigo Health emergency nurse Bec Fawcett, who was fortunately also at Lake Weeroona that Saturday morning last November - was given the green light from Dr. Nadurata to return to the football field.
O'Farrell also received a message from Dragons' senior co-coach Bryce Curnow at the time that helped light the fire to fully commit to getting back to the field in 2023.
"I remember Bryce reaching out to see how I was and basically saying that if I give it my best shot to try to get back this year then that would be great, but if I didn't get back, at least I had a crack," O'Farrell said.
"That probably woke me up a bit because up until then I was fairly inconsistent with getting to training and was more committed to going to the gym each day.
That probably woke me up a bit because up until then I was fairly inconsistent with getting to training and was more committed to going to the gym each day
- Sean O'Farrell
"So I really ramped things up for a month or so in terms of training and was able to get some touch back."
Before he could return to the field, though, O'Farrell needed a guard made for the implantable cardioverter-defibrillator he is fitted with that continuously monitors his heartbeat and issues small shocks when needed to restore it to a proper rhythm.
"I had to get a guard made because my defibrillator sticks out a bit, so I was waiting on getting that sorted and when I got that it really allowed me to ramp up my training with the group," O'Farrell said.
"It was probably a four-week block before my first game where I did every training session from start to finish with the group."
O'Farrell made his return to the field for the Dragons in their round 17 reserves game against Sandhurst at Camp Reserve on August 19 in a team that also included his brothers Patrick and Conor.
O'Farrell kicked four goals in what was a 151-point win for the Dragons.
"I played at full-forward in the first game and didn't have to do a hell of a lot of gut running and was able to kick a few goals as well, so that gave me a bit of confidence," O'Farrell, now 23, said.
"It was just unreal to be back and playing alongside both my brothers. I haven't played a lot of twos football, so to be able to play with them was awesome."
O'Farrell - who takes a Beta Blocker tablet daily to help control his blood pressure and heart rate - now has five games in the reserves under his belt, including three finals, heading into this weekend's grand final.
"For the first two games I was playing deep forward, but throughout the finals as I've got more match fitness I've been able to play higher up the ground," he said.
"My fitness has got better every week and it's getting easier to get through games. I'm not noticing that I've got the guard on.... I'm just out there running around playing footy, which is great.
"As for this week, I haven't played in a grand final for a while. I didn't expect to get this far given where I was a couple of months ago, so it's all feeling fairly surreal."
As for this week, I haven't played in a grand final for a while. I didn't expect to get this far given where I was a couple of months ago, so it's all feeling fairly surreal
- Sean O'Farrell
Under normal circumstances O'Farrell - who can play key posts at either end of the ground - would have been a key cog in the Dragons' senior team this year.
It's a senior team that finished on top of the ladder and has lost just two games on the way to this weekend's senior grand final against Golden Square on what will be a huge day for the Dragons, who have seven of their eight teams vieing for flags.
"There has been a few weeks where I've been a bit down on myself thinking I could miss out on a senior flag, but thinking like that gets you nowhere," O'Farrell said.
"I'm just happy to be back playing and I'm happy to be playing this week in the twos with my brothers and a lot of good mates. I'm really looking forward to Saturday."
Digital subscribers now have the convenience of faster news, right at your fingertips with the Bendigo Advertiser app. Click here to download.
