Overnight, former Newcastle Knights star Alex McKinnon gave an interview to 60 Minutes, speaking about his recovery from a devastating 2014 spinal injury.
Most of the attention, however, has been focused on McKinnon’s comments regarding the Melbourne Storm‘s Cameron Smith, and his behaviour in the immediate aftermath of the incident.
During his interview, McKinnon watched footage of the tackle that left him paralysed for the first time since it happened.
Viewing the footage, he said that he is not angry at Jordan McLean, who tackled him, bur rather at skipper Smith, who was later heard arguing with the referee about the resulting penalty.
“You see someone with two, four, six, eight, nine people around them and you want to debate about a fucking penalty?” McKinnon said, as footage showed Smith arguing with the ref while he lay on the field.
“Is he still debating? Is he fucking serious? Wouldn’t you just shut up? It’s fucking ridiculous.”
McKinnon says that Jordan McLean had reached out to him in the months following the tackle, but that, to his knowledge, Smith had not attempted to do so, even though “if [Jordan] could make contact, he could.”
Per ABC News reports, the Storm have already rallied behind Smith, and are in damage control mode, releasing a statement wishing McKinnon and his family “all the best” for his ongoing recovery.
“At the time of this tragic accident, no one on the field had any idea of the severity of the injury Alex had suffered,” they said.
“All at Storm and especially the playing group were shocked and horrified to learn of Alex’s injuries in the days after the event.”
The team also maintain that groups of Storm players, led by Smith, attempted to visit McKinnon in hospital, but that their requests were “understandably” denied as the focus was on the young player’s recovery.
Smith was also involved in the organisation of the Rise For Alex round, that raised over $1 million last year.
McKinnon received this money, along with $500,000 compensation from the NRL, but says that he’s worried this amount won’t be enough to cover his long-term care, and is considering taking legal action.
Coach Wayne Bennet has backed this move, saying:
Alex’s only concern is how he will be if things don’t get better for him and he has to be in full-time care for the rest of his life.
He doesn’t want to be in that situation in 30 years time when everybody forgets who Alex McKinnon is and he has no money to be able to provide the services he needs on a daily basis.
He wants to have a family (and) he wants to have a normal life, as much as he possibly can, so it is very hard to be critical of him if he doesn’t feel it is is happening for him and he feels it is an opportunity legally for him to bring that to a head.You have to understand, this wasn’t an accident in the sense it was an illegal tackle. That is the difference.
via Fairfax
