The family of a Darwin footballer who was left paralysed from the chest down after an on-field collision say they have been overwhelmed with support, as a crowd-sourced recovery fund edges closer to $80,000.
Tai Martin-Page dislocated his spine and damaged his spinal cord when he crashed into Wanderers player Mitchell Taylor two minutes into the Round 12 men's Premier League match at Marrara Stadium in Darwin on January 6.
Taylor was slapped with a three-week ban for careless conduct at an NTFL tribunal on Wednesday night and had earlier been charged with forceful front-on contact.
Martin-Page's mother, Bridgit Martin, said her son was doing very well, despite the extent of his injuries.
"I was just completely numb when I found out [about the collision]. Words fail me, they still do," she said.
"Everything considered, his positive nature is shining through the accident."
Ms Martin and her family, alongside representatives from the Darwin Buffaloes Football Club (DBFL), are currently by Martin-Page's bedside in the spinal ward at the Royal Perth Hospital.
Club President John Paterson said he was in "good spirits" and has today been outside for the first time since his injury.
A Gofundme campaign, which has raised more than $74,000 of a $100,000 target in six days, will help cover the costs of spinal care and rehabilitation.
"We have just been overwhelmed with the generosity pouring in from everybody all over the country," Ms Martin said.
"This is all going towards Tai's medical expenses, and what we're going to endure over the next few months."
'Focus should return to recovery'
Martin-Page moved to Darwin six months ago, joining the Darwin Buffaloes before recently being signed by the NT Thunder.
His accident has prompted an outpouring of support from across the country, including Trent Cochin and Dustin Martin from the Richmond Tigers, who sent a video message on Sunday wishing him a speedy recovery.
"I cannot relay how much it means to myself and my family," Martin-Page posted on social media on Wednesday.
"To have such huge support from each and everyone of you. It is greatly appreciated and will not soon be forgotten."
In a show of solidarity, the Wanderers Football Club, at the centre of the on-field collision, urged the football community to rally behind Martin-Page.
Though disappointed with the three-week suspension handed down to Taylor overnight, the club said no penalty could have changed the "unfortunate reality" of the situation.
"For the purposes of the tribunal hearing, the focus was necessarily on Mitchell, but nothing could detract from the hard rehabilitation pathway he [Martin-Page] has in front of him," club president Ben Cocker told reporters after the hearing.
"Now that the tribunal process has concluded, we ask that the focus now return to where it is needed – that is ensuring Tai has all the support possible from the football community for the road ahead."
