PLAYER'S DEATH

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXIV, Issue 22818, 27 August 1937, Page 13

PLAYER'S DEATH

INJURY AT RUGBY REMARK TO FATHER STRUCK BY A FIST STATEMENT AT INQUEST [Br TF.LF.GRArn —OWN COIUIKSrONTIKNT] W7TAXGATiET, Thursday A statement that lie had been told bv his son that an opposing player had hit him with his fist was made by the father of Angus Colin MoT/can. the 21-vear-old Waipti footballer, who died from head injuries received in a Rugby game at Mareretu on July. 31, at the inquest held to-day into the player's death. At the request of the police the inquest was further adjourned. Ernest Percival Clement Jury, schoolmaster, of Mareretu, who was referee of the match, said that he saw McLean stumble and fall among a bunch of. players. Witness asked McLean what had happened and McLean replied that someone had struck him with his elbow. His father then took him off the field. At the beginning of the second spell witness again saw' McLean, who said that he was all right. Witness did not gee-McLean leave the field the second timo. ' Resumed Alter Injury " There was definitely no rough play throughout the game, which was played in a perfectly friendly spirit, and in a loose scrum such as that in which deceased was injured,,the knock could just as easily have been an unintentional one from one of his own team," concluded the witness. Hugh Shields McCarroll, a farmer, of Taipuha, time-keeper at the match, said that after McLean left tho field he examined the, player's head and found a slight swelling and bruise on the left temple. McLean said that his head was only "a bit sore" and tfcat he was going on again. Played in friendly Spirit , Ralph Allan Lang, captain of the Waipu junior team, for which McLean was playing, and Athol John McLean, brother of the deceased, and other players, expressed the opinion that McLean received the injury when attempting to tackle a player. The whole game was played in a friendly spirit. Dr. H. F. Buckley, who carried out a post mortem examination, said that death was due to cerebral compression, following middle meningeal hemorrhage, consequent upon, a depressed fracture of the left temporal bone. There was no external evidence that McLean had received such serious injuries. Father's New Evidence John McDonald McLean, supplementing his evidence at the original inquiry, said that his son told him that he caught an opposing player who had the ball, and this man had swung round and hit him with his fist.

"I asked Colin, several times afterward about it, and lie repeated his previous statement," said witness. The Coroner, ilr. G. H. Morrish: Why did you not make this statement at the original inquiry, when you said as far ,as you could seo the game was quite clean? . Witness: I did not then think 1 would say anything about it. On the application of the police the coroner granted a further adjournment.