Afl player fighting for life after jumping from the second storey of a nightclub

SA footballer fights for life after nightclub jump
A young South Australian football player is fighting for his life after jumping from the second storey of a nightclub, reportedly in a bid to escape security.

The club's owners claim Ricky Elley, 19, was being chased by bouncers after being earlier kicked out of Port Pirie nightclub The Family, according to Nine News.

Police have not confirmed this detail but a spokeswoman said it appeared to be a case of tragic misjudgement.

Mr Elley, who plays for Central Augusta Football Club, suffered critical head injuries when he fell through a shade cloth, crashing to the ground, in the early hours of Sunday.

Mr Elley had been on the roof for up to 20 minutes before he fell, according to witnesses.

"It was pretty traumatic, as you can imagine. There were lots of his mates there," a witness told Nine News.

The nightclub posted a statement on Facebook yesterday.

"After last night's incident, our thoughts and well wishes are with the friends, family and the young man involved," it read. "Out of respect for the family and friends affected and also the young man himself, the page will not be displaying anything from this weekend.

"We would like to thank everyone for your understanding in this matter."

The incident comes one week after Port Adelaide football player John McCarthy died in a similar accident, after misjudging a jump from the roof of a Las Vegas hotel.

http://news.ninemsn.com.au/national/...after-pub-jump