Mark Ridgway.By Marc McGowan
CASEY-SOUTH Melbourne coach Mark Ridgway may have missed his side’s drought-breaking win on Saturday, but his players certainly did their best to include him.
Doctors performed the seemingly routine removal of the former Tasmanian state cricketer’s gall bladder last Wednesday, only for him to still be holed up in Epworth Hospital three days later.
Ridgway finally left hospital early on Saturday afternoon, but it was not until Monday morning that he felt back to full health.
The Swans defeated Dandenong by six wickets at Shepley Oval and had their embattled coach on the phone as they belted out the team song for the first time this season.
“It was fantastic, even though I wasn’t feeling a million bucks – I wasn’t even feeling one dollar,” Ridgway said on Monday.
“Unfortunately, I couldn’t get there. I was hoping to get there on Saturday night, but I had a bit of a relapse late Saturday arvo, so I just couldn’t get there.
“I’m actually feeling a million bucks today.”
Ridgway said the operation should have been done years ago.
“It got badly diseased and affected and that’s why the operation was a bit trickier than what they normally are,” he said.
“They’re usually pretty straight forward – in one day and out the next – but I was in the hospital for four days.”
Ridgway is looking positively ahead to next summer.
“It’s been a bit of a tough season, but it’s been an enjoyable season,” he said.
“At times, you get down in the dumps, but it’s been enjoyable.
“It’s a good club with players who all want to learn and listen and pull together and it just shows on Saturday when we had three wins (in the firsts, seconds and thirds) and I’m led to believe that that hasn’t happened for many years.
“So out of the negatives there comes a lot of positives and we’ll move forward next year.”
