AFL great’s son put in induced coma after mystery brain infection

An AFL legend’s son was placed on life support after doctors discovered he was battling a mystery brain infection.

Geelong great Peter Riccardi, 51, said his son, Osca, was placed in a coma after spending the day with friends.

Osca, who previously played for the Geelong Cats, was rushed to hospital by his mother after she noticed he could barely walk or talk.

‘A couple of Sundays ago (Osca) came home, he’d been out with a few of his mates, he’d been to the beach, went out for dinner, went out to play 10-pin bowling, and said he was going to bed,’ Mr Riccardi told the Beyond the Boundary podcast.

‘Then halfway through the night he was up, he was vomiting, he was feeling a bit crook… we just thought he was run down.

‘But come lunchtime, he couldn’t talk, he could hardly walk.’

Osca had scans at the hospital which revealed there was swelling on his brain. 

Click here to resize this module

He was battling a sinus infection, an ear infection and glandular fever at the same time and was placed in an induced coma for three days. 

‘Whether the swim did something with his ears and went into his brain, I’m not 100 per cent sure, yet,’ Mr Riccardi said. 

The talented footy player spent four days in the ICU but is now recuperating at home.

Mr Riccardi said it was ‘extremely’ lucky his wife Mel had been working from home and could take Osca to hospital as quickly as she did. 

‘He’s back home now recovering, you wouldn’t know that two weeks ago, watching him on life support, and seeing him now, it’s amazing what they do in there,’ the former Cats player said. 

‘Obviously they have got to prepare you for the worst (outcome).

‘But again, like I said, if Mel had gone to work that day, he wouldn’t be here today.

‘We’re pretty lucky, we’re pretty lucky.

‘It must have been a mother’s intuition or mother’s instinct to stay at home that day.’

Osca played at VFL level for Geelong but did not manage an AFL debut.