The former Crows small forward ‘couldn’t walk’ after the incident in Bali.

Former Adelaide Crows small forward James Rowe ‘couldn’t walk’ as a result of complications from a scooter crash in Bali. The ex-AFL player received stitches for a nasty gash on his knee following the incident. The injuries sustained in the crash were relatively minor but things got drastically worse after an ill-informed decision to go for a swim in the Murray River with former Crows teammate, Harry Schoenberg upon returning to Australia.

As a result of his swim the wound became infected and resulted in his knee becoming the ‘size of a watermelon’. His father Stephen, a prominent South Australian football commentator, told Adelaide’s FIVEaa he’s ‘had a bit of a rough time of it’.

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“He cut his knee in a little minor scooter crash in Bali, I think he had four stitches — so, there’s lesson one,” Rowe told the radio station. “Last Saturday, he swam in the Murray River with an open cut — well there, I guess, is lesson number two. There should be a public service announcement for that, because I’ve been in the ED on and off for the last week, and they’re getting about 10 patients a day — that Murray River’s not good for bugs.”

“Within four hours of swimming, his knee swelled up like a balloon. Lucky Harry Schoenberg’s dad had a similar infection (and) took him straight to the hospital. Within four hours, it was the size of a watermelon and he couldn’t walk.”

But after waiting a long time to be seen by doctors, the pair grew impatient and left only for Rowe to return to the emergency department days later, with the situation drastically worse. “We spent last Sunday in hospital, James was treated and then sent home, home care nurses looked after him… probably should have booked him into a private hospital,” Rowe’s father said.

“After about five antibiotics, he was rushed to hospital (on) Thursday, his leg just looked awful, and the infection was growing. They admitted him in and there was a bit more urgency. He had MRIs and ultrasounds, there were surgeons, there were swabs and cultures.”