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AFL great Sam Newman has revealed he could have died after suffering a frightening health emergency that left him struggling to speak before he was rushed to hospital for surgery on his neck.
The 80-year-old Geelong Cats legend spent 10 days in The Alfred Hospital after experiencing two transient ischemic attacks, often referred to as mini strokes, while out in Port Melbourne with partner Sue Stanley.
Speaking about the ordeal in a video documenting his hospital stay, Newman admitted the outcome could have been very different without Stanley's quick thinking.
'If this had happened then, it might have been a different story,' he said.
'I suffered a medical episode and, if Sue hadn't been with me and summonsed the help that she did, I probably wouldn't be here.'
The vision then cut to the past, where Newman was suffering speak impairment which caused Sue to raise the alarm.
AFL great Sam Newman says he might not be alive after mini strokes triggered emergency neck surgery in Melbourne
Doctors discovered a narrowed artery supplying blood to Newman's brain and performed surgery to widen it
Newman admitted the health scare was serious and said the outcome could have been very different without quick help
Newman credits partner Sue Stanley's quick thinking for calling an ambulance during the frightening medical episode
'This is no laughing matter. Seriously, I think you're having a stroke,' she said.
Newman was in his car and laughing, repeating: 'I can't speak, I can't speak.'
Emergency services rushed him to hospital where doctors began a series of tests before determining he had suffered two mini strokes caused by a narrowing artery supplying blood to his brain.
'A little fleck of blood went into my brain, and I lost speech temporarily, and I lost strength in both my arms, but that was very short lived, five minutes,' Newman explained.
'I have had a stroke, I have had two little strokes.'
Surgeons later performed a procedure to widen the carotid artery on the left side of his neck to prevent further clots travelling to the brain.
'I've had an MRI, an ultrasound and had a bevy of tests and I've just finally had the operation to widen the artery which goes into my brain,' Newman said.
The outspoken broadcaster kept his trademark sense of humour throughout the ordeal, joking about the battery of hospital equipment surrounding him.
'And this is the start of an AI robot they're building here and I'm just a guinea pig,' he quipped.
Doctors told Newman the narrowed artery may have been allowing small blood clots to travel to his brain, triggering the episodes.
'They think there were blood clots getting into me brain and that's why I was unstable,' he said.
Despite the seriousness of the situation, Newman said he was deeply grateful for the care he received during his stay.
'I have to say, well everyone says this, but the staff are fantastic,' he said.
'This is a public hospital because the ambulance brought me here.'
Newman, who played 300 games for Geelong before embarking on a long media career that included co hosting The Footy Show, has since returned home and continues recovering.
But the scare has clearly left an impression on the veteran broadcaster.
'And in all seriousness, this is not a small issue,' Newman said during the video update.