Stephen Boyle
| Stephen Boyle | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Personal information | |||
| Date of birth | 4 September 1953 | ||
| Original team(s) | Moe[1] | ||
| Height / weight | 178 cm / 71 kg | ||
| Sources: AFL Tables, AustralianFootball.com | |||
Stephen Boyle (born 4 September 1953) is a former Australian rules footballer who played with Footscray in the Victorian Football League (VFL).
Recruited from Moe, Boyle was a half forward flanker who kicked at least one goal in each of his six appearances for Footscray in the 1972 VFL season.[2] Just a week after the infamous John Greening incident had taken place, Boyle also suffered a career-ending injury. Playing his sixth league game, against St Kilda at Western Oval, he badly injured an eye after a collision with defender Kevin "Cowboy Neale. He was admitted to hospital with bleeding behind his eye and needed surgery to stop blood from reaching his brain.[3] Doctors were unable to prevent him from permanently losing the sight of his right eye and although he attempted a comeback he never played another VFL game.[4]
He was the second of three family members who had their sporting careers ruined by injury. His mother, Nancy Boyle, was a short distance runner and briefly held the 440 yard world record in 1957. She missed out on qualifying for the 1960 Rome Olympics when she stepped on a nail. He also has a son, Tim Boyle, who played for Hawthorn but was forced into retirement at the age of 25, due to multiple injuries.[5]
References
- ^ Holmesby, Russell; Main, Jim (2007). The Encyclopedia Of AFL Footballers. BAS Publishing. ISBN 978-1-920910-78-5.
- ^ AFL Tables: Stephen Boyle
- ^ The Age,"Boyle could lose sight of one eye", 20 July 1972 p. 16
- ^ The Age,"Bulldogs aid Boyle appeal", 16 November 1972 p. 18
- ^ The Age,"The warrior's blessing", 19 December 2009, Timothy Boyle