Former Collingwood coach Nathan Buckley has thrown his support behind midfielder Taylor Adams as a touching act of kindness was revealed by the Pies star.
Adams suffered a nasty groin injury late in the fourth quarter of Saturday’s qualifying final loss to Geelong, immediately clutching at the area and needing to be assisted from the ground.
Coach Craig McRae painted a grim picture of Adams’ injury post-match.
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“It looks like he‘s torn the groin off the bone – that’s the early diagnosis – his season is over,” he said.
“I just grabbed him then; he’s had his moment of emotion. We’ll get around him and support him as best we can.”
Buckley, Adams’ former coach, said he had offered his support to the All-Australian in the aftermath.
“I text ‘Tay’ after the game. I really feel for him because he puts so much into his footy and it’s a big part of who he is as a person,” he said on Fox Footy’s Best On Ground.
“But in the last four or five years he’s really grown as a man and he understands that footy is just a part of his life.
“He’ll lead and he’ll drive this group to whatever its capable of in the short-term and the long-term.
“He always wants to be a part of it as we all do I suppose with things that we’re passionate about and things that we believe in.”
Support for Adams appeared to extend beyond those who knew him personally.
Taking to Twitter, Adams revealed he was trying to reconnect with someone who offered a touching gesture of kindness towards him after the game.
“Magpie Army I need your help,” he wrote.
“Following todays game, whilst walking back to the AIA centre. A young girl and her father could see I was flat.
“The young girl came up to me and offered to hold my hand crossing Swan street, she then gave a massive hug. I would love to find them.”
