Melbourne Storm and North Sydney Bears centre Marion Seve has revealed the terrifying details of a serious eye injury that nearly ended his rugby league career — and how he’s made history by becoming the first elite-level player to wear protective goggles on the field.
The 30-year-old suffered the injury during a NSW Cup match against Penrith at North Sydney Oval in early June, when he was accidentally struck in the eye by a boot stud while attempting a tackle.
“My sight went white and I could only see some shadows and I could also feel something flapping in my eyeball and eyelid. My vision then went black and I couldn’t see anything at all. That’s when I started getting worried,” Seve told the Daily Telegraph.
“I dived to make a tackle and copped a stud, I could see the boot coming straight into my eye. It got me flush on my eyeball.
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“I could tell by the doctor’s face that it was pretty serious and there were chances I could lose my sight. I was a bit worried.”
Seve revealed that his eye surgeon warned him a second blow to the same eye could result in the permanent loss of sight on his right side.
Despite facing a grim prognosis and contemplating walking away from rugby league for good, Seve was determined to return to the game he loves — with one crucial change: protective eyewear.
Last weekend, the centre made his comeback for North Sydney, wearing specially approved ski-style goggles with an elastic strap, sanctioned by the NSWRL.
Braving heavy rain and tough conditions, Seve delivered a standout performance against Newcastle — crossing for three tries, running for 209 metres, breaking the line twice, busting five tackles, maintaining a 94.5% tackle efficiency, and earning the players’ player award for his efforts.
While Seve initially expected to catch some teasing from his Melbourne teammates, he has quickly embraced the new look and grown comfortable with the fit and feel of the goggles.
“Dr Matthews and the club highly recommended that I wear the goggles, which I wasn’t too keen on because I’d cop some from the boys and I would look weird on the field. Dr Matthews told me similar athletes in different sports have worn goggles for protection,” he said.
“But it turned out good for me. I had a good response and everyone is happy that I’m back playing.”