Vital comeback by Richmond legend Royce Hart * Mike Sheahan
* Herald Sun
* November 27, 2010RICHMOND's legendary centre half-forward Royce Hart is in hospital in Hobart recovering from assorted medical problems that threatened his life.
Hart, 62, has been a "very, very sick boy," his estranged wife Jane said.
"He's going better now," she said. "He came out of intensive care on Thursday after nearly a fortnight."
Mrs Hart, his second wife of 20 years, said she feared for what might have happened had she not persuaded him to go to the family doctor after calling on him earlier this month.
"He was in theatre within three hours of going to hospital," she said.
"He's lost an awful lot of weight (almost 20kg). He's on the mend, we think, but I think he's realising what a close call he's had.
"If we hadn't pushed him to go to hospital, he might have died."
Hart's problems started with a hernia and subsequent complications, followed by a bowel obstruction, peritonitis and pneumonia. He also has lung lesions.
Mrs Hart said: "When I saw him, he was just grey. I took one look at him and said 'get in the car' and we went off to the doctor.
"If I hadn't pushed him (to go to the doctor), we're not sure what would have happened."
Hart is back in a general ward and walking, but there is no indication when he will be discharged from hospital.
His problems surfaced just before he was due to come to Melbourne early this month to present his No. 4 Richmond guernsey to Dustin Martin.
"He really wanted to go," Mrs Hart said.
"He was really pleased Dustin got his number."
Tom Hafey, Hart's coach for almost his entire time at Richmond (1967-77), deputised for him at the guernsey presentation ceremony.
Two of Hart's sons, Simon and Nathan, visited him in hospital last weekend and his other son, Damien, is expected in Hobart from Perth this weekend.
His 1967 premiership teammate Mike Perry, president of Richmond's past players' association, said yesterday: "He was pretty crook there for a while, but he's on the improve, a bit better now."
Hart, centre half-forward in Richmond's team of the century, played 187 games for the Tigers in their most recent era of greatness. He played in four premiership teams (1967, 1969, 1973-74), and was captain from 1972-75.
He was named centre half-forward in the AFL's team of the 20th century in 1996 and inducted into the AFL Hall of Fame the same year.
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