MAITLAND Football Club is rallying around club captain Matt Stonham as the goalkeeper awaits test results on the cause of a seizure he suffered on the field on Sunday.
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Stonham, who will celebrate his 30th birthday on Thursday, is in John Hunter Hospital, where he was taken by ambulance after collapsing early in the second half of the under-22 match at Magic Park.
The former first-grade keeper went down away from play and was unconscious for more than two minutes. The game was abandoned with Broadmeadow ahead 4-0.
Stonham’s partner, Newcastle Jets W-League striker and former Matilda Rhali Dobson, and first-grade co-coach Anthony Richards were among those who rushed to his side.
Dobson said it was the first time Stonham had experienced a seizure and doctors had ruled out epilepsy, heart and hereditary conditions as causes of the episode.
‘‘They are all still a little unsure at the moment,’’ Dobson said. ‘‘He’s functioning completely fine and he passed all that testing, but they are running a lot more because we want to get to the cause of it.
‘‘We should know in a couple of days because they are doing some scans.
‘‘It’s all up in the air at the moment, but they are certain they will find out what it is and we can treat it.
‘‘We’re just trying to be as positive as we can and supportive as possible.
‘‘He’s very positive about it and all the doctors are all positive that no matter what happens, because it was a one-off thing, whatever it is, they can treat it.’’
Stonham has been with the Magpies since his junior days and was the top-grade keeper before Benn Kelly returned last season to take over in goal as the club won promotion to the Northern NSW National Premier League after 12 seasons in first division.
Dobson said concerned first-grade players had told her the seizure had rattled them before their match, which they lost 3-0 to Broadmeadow, but Stonham ‘‘just wants the club to continue everyday life as normal as they can’’.
‘‘It’s a big thing for him, because he’s worked so hard to help get them up there,’’ she said.
First-grade coach Reece Thompson said Stonham’s seizure had rocked the Magpies and they were all hoping the popular clubman would make a full recovery.
● Central Coast Mariners goalkeeping coach John Crawley, the man who nurtured the talents of Danny Vukovic and Mat Ryan, is leaving the club after nearly a decade in the job.
The 43-year-old’s exit paves the way for gloveman Matthew Nash to retire and take up the post for the 2015-16 season.
● Micronesia were humiliated 46-0 by Vanuatu on Tuesday, ending their already dismal Pacific Games campaign on a new low with one of football’s most lopsided scores.
The latest drubbing follows a 38-0 loss to Fiji and 30-0 scoreline against Tahiti.
Organisers labelled it the biggest win in international football history, but Micronesia are not FIFA members and it was an under-23 tournament.
The record in a senior international is American Samoa’s 31-0 loss to Australia in 2001.