Former AFL star Tommy Sheridan has shared a harrowing account of a bizarre health scare that left him fearing for his life after he mysteriously knocked himself out in his sleep and later collapsed at home. The ex-Fremantle Dockers and GWS Giants midfielder detailed the alarming incident on his FAF Fridays podcast, appearing with a visible black eye as he recounted the sequence of events.
A Terrifying Sequence of Events
Sheridan explained the ordeal began with an unexplained loss of consciousness during sleep. 'So, this is what's happened. I'll keep it up and about because when I told a few people, they get a bit flat,' Sheridan said. 'I've knocked myself out in my sleep, which is not great. Don't know how.' The situation escalated when he later went to the bathroom and fainted, striking his head on the tiles.
Emergency Medical Intervention
The incident forced Sheridan into emergency care, where he underwent a series of urgent medical tests. The 32-year-old admitted he feared the worst while waiting hours for doctors to deliver results. 'I was in emergency all day Tuesday, it was actually quite serious,' he revealed. 'I was with my mum all day. I had to get brain tests; ECG, bloods - all good.'
Sheridan expressed his confusion about the cause, stating he had no memory of the incident and was alone at home when the mysterious collapse occurred. 'Just don't know what's happened. Absolutely just made a meal of myself on Tuesday morning at all hours. Horror, horror.'
The Psychological Toll
The former footballer, who played 83 AFL games after being drafted with pick No. 16 in 2011, confessed the experience left him deeply shaken. 'I'm all good, I'm fine. It's just, it was quite scary Tuesday,' Sheridan said. He described the anxiety of waiting for test results: 'Sitting in emergency, if you want really just that reality check, and then going to get your brain scanned, your heart done, your bloods, and then waiting for the doctor to come back five hours later - I was sitting there going, 'F***, this could be it. This could be it'.'
Unraveling the Mystery
Adding to the confusion, Sheridan admitted he has no clear explanation for how the initial injury occurred. 'And I live on my own. I've just got no idea what happened.' Despite initially appearing to have suffered a facial injury from striking tiles, he later clarified the mark under his eye was actually caused by friction against carpet. 'It's actually carpet burn, so I must have just fell out of bed and just done 'the worm' [on the floor],' he explained.
Recovery and Reflection
Sheridan has since reassured listeners he is recovering well, but acknowledged the ordeal served as a sobering reminder of how quickly health situations can escalate. The popular former winger, who retired in 2020 after stints with Fremantle and GWS, has remained active in public life through media engagements and business ventures, including co-founding the eyewear brand Rixx.
This frightening episode highlights the unpredictable nature of health emergencies and the importance of prompt medical attention, even for seemingly minor incidents that can rapidly become serious concerns.
