The Maitland goalkeeper fell to the ground with a seizure early in the second half of the Magpies’ under22s match against Broadmeadow two weeks ago, halting the game at Magic Park  with the hosts up 4-0.

Stonham was treated on the pitch before an ambulance took him to John Hunter Hospital where he had a range of tests and scans.

Initial scans have indicated the 30-year-old has a small, low-grade brain tumour.

Doctors believe the tumour is benign, but results from a scan conducted at Royal Prince Alfred hospital two days ago will reveal more.

Stonham will return on Monday to meet with a neurosurgeon to go over the results and plan his treatment, but he remains optimistic about the battle ahead.

‘‘Everything has been quite positive from the surgeon and the specialist,’’ Stonham said.

‘‘They are both pretty confident, because of my age, how it happened and the tests so far that they can get the whole thing out and I can return to my life as usual.

‘‘They were able to determine something was wrong in there, which they are thinking is a small, low-grade brain tumour, but at no point did they think it was cancerous. 

‘‘All the blood work had come back good, which gave me a bit of peace of mind.’’

A stalwart of the Magpies, Stonham is one of their club captains and a  popular player. His seizure rocked the club, but doctors believe the frightening incident will prove a blessing.

‘‘They said in a roundabout way that it was better I did have a seizure,’’ Stonham said. ‘‘I could have been walking around with this in my head for five, 10 years and it could have gotten worse, but because it happened, they’ve had to investigate it. 

‘‘They have found it before it has gotten bad, bigger or affected other parts of my life.’’ The seizure was a first for Stonham but there had been signs something was wrong.

‘‘I’d had a few signs probably the last six months that I just shook off as adrenalin because it was all in games,’’ he said. ‘‘I had tingling hands and there were patches after I had made a save where I wouldn’t be able to speak for maybe a minute or so.

‘‘I had something to say but couldn’t get it out. It was quite weird, but I just put it down to adrenalin. That all happened again on that Sunday, but unfortunately it went further and ended up in a seizure and me on the ground.’’

Stonham, a  storeman at Eraring power station, said he ‘‘thought the worst’’ when told of the tumour but was staying positive with the support of family and friends, the club and the football community.

He said he was ‘‘very lucky’’ to have a ‘‘huge support network’’, which includes partner and Newcastle Jets W-League striker Rhali Dobson.

‘‘Maitland is known as a family, and that’s shone through to me this week,’’ he said. ‘‘I knew it before. We’re all mates and get along really well, but when something like this happens, you really see the support shine through.

‘‘You really feel the love when something like this happens. Rhali has been a pillar of strength for me through this time and been really positive, which is a big influence on me.’’

Stonham has played all but two years of his junior and senior football with Maitland and his mother, Evelyn Stonham, is a club life member.