For 10 weeks in 2024, Jamie Elliott didn't play football.
An unusual vascular issue that caused multiple blood clots in his foot prevented enough blood supply into his toes, and left Elliott sidelined.
The blood clots would leave Elliott's foot feeling "numb", and with the lack of blood, his foot would "go white" at times.
The medical episode posed Elliott with a gut-wrenching call to make.
There was no simple solution or cure beyond a complicated surgery that if gone wrong could've seen Elliott have toes amputated.
It left Elliott with effectively two "grim" options - the aforementioned surgery with the potential of a horror result, or his football mortality.
The Collingwood star forward, who has been a perennial match-winner at the Pies, known for unbelievable aerial prowess and clutch goalkicking, admitted he almost came to terms with retirement when told the likelihood of the surgery going pear-shaped.
โOne of (the options) was retiring, one of them was having surgery where there was a chance I could lose a couple of toes if they got it wrong. When he said it, I was like, โI will retire'," Elliott told the Herald Sun.
"I didn't want to go through with it and then I sat on it for a week."
During that time, Elliott reflected on his love for the game, and thrust his trust into the surgeon's hands, making a call to go ahead with the surgery despite the potential disastrous outcome.
"I was thinking, โI don't know, I love footy and there was a small chance it could happen'. So I put it in the hands of the surgeon," Elliott reflected.
โThey went through my pubic area, put a tube down there and it goes through your main arteries down your leg and your body produces something which thins your blood naturally.
โThis is a concentrated version and they push it down there and it basically dissolved the blood clot. The arteries are so small down there that if they stuff it up it could block it.
โ...Normally vascular issues happen in older people. But the surgeon did a good job. It was a bit of a risk but it turned out well.โ
Elliott was able to return to action for the final seven weeks of Collingwood's season, and while still occasionally feeling numbness, the Pies forward is in much better shape.
So far this season, the 32-year-old has continued to be serviceable in the Collingwood forward line, kicking five goals in the first three games of the season, before laying seven tackles in Round 4 against Carlton.
The veteran also has five goal assists this season, with his intention being to elevate his teammates as he joins the leadership group for the first time in his career.
โI am trying to support Checkers (Brody Mihocek) and the older guys, so it's given me more purpose and actually being in the leadership group we do exercises where we have things we plan for during the game and things we focus on it brings me out of myself and I focus more on the group," Elliott said.
โTo be honest if I play my role it doesn't really matter (if I kick goals).
"We just want wins on the board and if I can get 'Shooter' (Lachie Schultz) to be more comfortable to play to his strengths, if I can get Beau (McCreery) to play well, if I can do anything helpful to pump them up.
"...Just empower them, then I am doing my job and my footy will just flow on from there.โ
The Magpies take on Sydney in Gather Round, and Elliott is set to be a crucial cog in the forward line once again.
