South Sydney Rabbitohs great Nathan Merritt is fighting for his life in hospital after being found unconscious on Friday
Nathan Merritt, a retired NRL player, is in critical condition at a Sydney hospital after being discovered unresponsive on Friday.
The former South Sydney winger, 40, was rushed to the Royal Prince Alfred Hospital in Camperdown and is allegedly on life support.
Merritt, a father of five, is thought to have suffered an allergic reaction to pain medicine and fainted at his aunt’s house, where he was living.
Nathan Merritt, a retired NRL player, is in critical condition at a Sydney hospital after being discovered unresponsive on Friday.
The former South Sydney winger, 40, was rushed to the Royal Prince Alfred Hospital in Camperdown and is allegedly on life support.
Merritt, a father of five, is thought to have suffered an allergic reaction to pain medicine and fainted at his aunt’s house, where he was living.
His lawyer told the Burwood Local Court that it was ‘pure luck’ that no one was seriously harmed in the assault, and that Merritt, who suffered from melancholy after quitting from sports, was so intoxicated that he only has foggy memories of the attack.
His situation has been disclosed to his family, friends, and former teammates.
Merritt did not feature in Souths’ 2014 NRL grand final victory after Alex Johnston and Lote Tuqiri took over as first-choice wingers that season.
He did not attend the grand final, however he did post on Instagram: ‘Good luck to the brothers tonight. ‘Go get that championship, fellas.’
It is startling news for South Sydney fans who are still hurting from the tragic death of grand final hero Kyle Turner, who died in August at the age of 31.
Merritt, who retired from the National Rugby League in 2014 after 237 appearances, is regarded as one of the Rabbitohs’ greatest players.
Nathan Merritt, who was born and raised in Redfern, began his football career as a junior player with the Alexandria Rovers in the South Sydney juvenile tournament.
After retiring, he put his love of the game into a cause near and dear to his heart, establishing the Nathan Merritt Foundation, which provides guidance and support to Indigenous youngsters in Sydney.
Former Western Force player Dave Harvey, who played with Merritt in his younger years, voiced his surprise on social media.
‘I just found out that a former teammate and legend, Nathan Merritt, is on life support, which is heartbreaking!!! ‘Keep battling, brother,’ he wrote on Facebook.
With 219 games for Souths, he is fourth on the club’s all-time games played record.
The Redfern-born athlete also achieved recognition at the highest level of the sport. Merritt represented New South Wales in the State of Origin in 2013, made two appearances in the Australian Prime Minister’s XIII, represented City Origin twice, and earned three NRL Indigenous All Stars jerseys.
His exceptional performance in the 2012 Indigenous All Stars game earned him the Preston Campbell Medal for Man of the Match.
Merritt also won three Koori Knockout tournaments alongside his father Tony.
