Dave Hughes in Intensive Care Following AFL Legends Match Injury, Late-Night Partying

Dave Hughes Hospitalized After Brutal AFL Legends Match
Comedian Dave Hughes, 54, suffered five broken ribs and a punctured lung during Thursday’s AFL Legends charity match, leading to an emergency hospital dash. The incident sparked outrage, with retired AFL star Brendan Fevola slamming the tackles as “dog acts.”

Hughes played for the Victorian team against the All Stars at Marvel Stadium but faced heavy hits from ex-players like Mitch Robinson and Andrew Embley. Post-game, his wife, Holly, rushed him to Cabrini Hospital at 5 a.m. Despite his injuries, Hughes humorously recounted the ordeal from his ICU bed on Triple M’s Mick in the Morning: “I joked about a punctured lung at halftime—turns out I was right!”

[Image: Hughes in hospital, caption: Dave Hughes recovering with five broken ribs and a punctured lung.]

“Am I Going to Die Out Here?”
Hughes pinpointed collisions with Embley, Dan Gorringe, and Robinson as the culprits. “Embley slammed me first—I was struggling from then,” he said. A ruck contest with Gorringe left him winded, while Robinson’s off-ball hit post-goal had him questioning his survival. Fevola, Hughes’ teammate, called Robinson’s tackle a “brutal dog act.”

[Image: Hughes mid-game collision, caption: Hughes sprawled on the field after a ruck hit.]

Post-Game Fallout
Despite the injuries, Hughes attended the after-party until 2 a.m. All Stars coach Shane Crawford was filmed jokingly telling players to target him pre-game: “Make sure Hughes never plays again.” Hughes later told Kyle & Jackie O: “Footballers are robots—they followed orders!”

[Image: Coach Shane Crawford, caption: Crawford urging players to target Hughes.]

Emergency Hospital Dash
Holly Hughes described her panic finding him “moaning” at 5 a.m.: “I knew we needed an ambulance.” Though initially downplaying his pain, Hughes later admitted, “I should’ve called one—AFL players hog them too much!”

[Image: Hughes and Holly, caption: Holly rushed Hughes to the hospital.]

Mixed Reactions
While teammate Nick Riewoldt praised Hughes’ toughness, Fevola criticized the excessive physicality. Hughes, now recovering, joked, “I’ll stick to comedy—it’s safer.” The incident reignited debates about safety in charity matches, with fans divided over the players’ aggressive tactics.

[Image: Mitch Robinson tackle, caption: Fevola called Robinson’s hit a “dog act.”]

Hughes’ ordeal underscores the risks of mixing celebrities with pros, even in charity games. As he heals, the comedian’s resilience—and the AFL’s bruising culture—remain in the spotlight.

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