Nate Caddy, Essendon’s first-round draft pick, had to leave the Bombers’ VFL match against Sandringham and head to the hospital on Sunday after suffering a severe collision with teammate Sam Weideman early in the game. This incident resulted in the loss of one of Caddy’s front teeth.
During a marking contest, Caddy collided with the back of Weideman’s head, causing the dislodgement of his tooth. Slow-motion replays captured Caddy falling to the ground as the tooth visibly fell out.
Essendon medical staff quickly attended to Caddy, who was bleeding from his mouth, while a Bombers trainer retrieved the dislodged tooth from the field. The trainer then took the tooth to a nearby coffee truck and placed it in a glass of milk, as keeping the tooth moist increases the chances of saving it.
Despite the unfortunate incident, Caddy remained in good spirits, even sharing an image of his toothless mouth later that night. Weideman, on the other hand, sustained a cut from the collision, requiring stitches, but continued playing with a bandage over his head.
Caddy, who was drafted by Essendon with pick 10 in the previous year’s draft, is yet to make his AFL debut. He had an impressive performance in his first VFL game for the Bombers, kicking two goals and a behind against the Brisbane Lions’ VFL team the week prior. Despite his absence, the Bombers fell to the Zebras in the match.
