Author(s): M. Sexton

Sport & Recreation

At 24, Neil Sachse was an Aussie Rules star on the rise. The burly South Australian had torn through the ranks to become one of the most sought-after players in the country. Then, in only his second game in the top flight, playing for Footscray, a front-on collision left Neil a quadriplegic. It remains the most catastrophic injury to any player in the history of the VFL/AFL competition. However, it's not the injury, but what Neil went on to achieve that has come to define him.