Robert ‘Dipper’ DiPierdomenico lifts the lid on debilitating health issue
AFL icon Robert ‘Dipper’ DiPierdomenico has spoken out about a debilitating urinary retention issue that left him needing to wear an adult nappy. The Hawthorn legend won the Brownlow Medal in 1986 and famously played in the 1989 VFL grand final with broken ribs and a punctured lung.
However DiPierdomenico says his urinary retention issue, where the bladder fails to empty properly, is worse than any injury he suffered while playing footy. The man affectionately known as 'Dipper' was urinating 30 to 40 times a day and had to undergo surgery for the painful condition.
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“Fortunately it wasn’t cancer or my actual prostate, but a lot of my mates were worried about me because of my so-called leakage,’’ DiPierdomenico told the Herald Sun. “I thought silly men like me just put up with the pain, we all think we’re invincible. A punctured lung could have been my last game, but this was worse than any footy injury."
DiPierdomenico said he was speaking out in an attempt to get men to take their health seriously. He added: “The worst is when you’re walking around the chemist looking for nappies and trying to hide it.
“We talk about men’s health all the time. The pain got so bad I went to emergency, and the persistence of the doctors fixed me up quick. I had an operation in April and every now and then I face a challenge, but I’m OK. I just wish I’d got it looked at earlier.”
AFL fans react to news about Robert DiPierdomenico
DiPierdomenico played 240 games for Hawthorn, kicking 130 goals. He won five VFL premierships - in 1978, 1983, 1986, 1988 and 1989.
Late in the 1989 grand final he collided with Geelong star Gary Ablett, breaking several of his ribs and puncturing one of his lungs. He played on through the pain but collapsed shortly after the full-time siren and was rushed to St Vincent's Hospital.
"By this time I'd been shifted into intensive care," he said previously. "The doctor came in and said if they didn't gag me I was gone... So there you are. I had eight days in hospital to think about what might have happened. To tell you the truth, it scared me."
After retiring in 1991, DiPierdomenico forged a successful career in the media, working for Channel 7 on TV and 3AW radio. He was inducted into the AFL Hall of Fame in 2007.
Fans took to social media to wish him well after the staggering health reveal. One commented that it was 'sad to hear', while others described it as an 'awful' condition.
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