INJURED East Warrnambool coach Danny Chatfield says a series of meetings with neurosurgeons will determine his football future.
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The Bombers midfielder is recovering at home after suffering two skull fractures and bleeding on the brain during a Warrnambool and District league match on May 4.
He will visit Royal Melbourne Hospital on June 24 for his first three-hour long testing session.
Chatfield, 35, said he was nervous but would put his wife Amy and three sons - Jyah, Kobi and Vann - first.
"I could get the bad news that I may never be able to play footy again," he told The Standard on Monday.
"I said to Amy that will be a hard pill to swallow."
But Chatfield said he would "cross that bridge when it comes" and remained hopeful of playing for the Bombers again.
He is taking steps in his recovery and sat on the East Warrnambool bench helping his assistant coaches on Saturday.
He will return to work at the Department of Justice on June 7.
"I am trying to feel normal or human again. With a head knock, it just takes that much strength from you," Chatfield said.
"It is amazing what the brain tells the body to do."
The former Hawkesdale-Macarthur mentor admitted the lengthy recovery period was frustrating.
But he said he was grateful he remained involved with East Warrnambool in some capacity.
"I am on anti-seizure tablets," Chatfield said.
"It was frustrating on the weekend (watching from the sidelines) but I am trying to see the funny side of things because I know if I do get worked up there's a possibility of going into a seizure mode."
Chatfield, who is still having trouble hearing out his right ear, said he felt he was improving each day.
"You sit around and think 'should I start training, should I start doing anything?' but then you think no because they told me to stay away from contact or even just kicking the footy with my kids for six weeks," he said.
"It is all chill-out mode which is hard to do when you're normally always on the go with work and trying to organise footy sides and get to training.
"For the last three weeks it's been tough but there's a lot of other people doing it a lot worse than me.
"I am at home with my wife and kids and I am lucky I am being supported by work."
East Warrnambool onballer Allie Clarke broke his ankle in the Bombers' 180-point loss to reigning premier Nirranda on Saturday.
Chatfield said Clarke would visit a specialist on Thursday to determine the severity of his injury.
The Bombers, who have a 1-6 win-loss record plus a bye after eight rounds, host premiership contender Kolora-Noorat at Reid Oval on Saturday.
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