Warrnambool sportsman Tom Bowman out of induced coma, set for third operation

His father Michael said this morning that Tom was now scheduled to have a fourth bout of surgery at the Melbourne hospital.

"Tom is now on the the medical ward," he said.

"He is continuing to improve but has a fourth operation booked for 10.30 this morning after which we hope to know more about where he is at.

"We're still unsure how long he will be here in Melbourne," he said.

Friday: Warrnambool sportsman Tom Bowman is rapidly improving after contracting a superbug but faces another operation later today.

His father Michael said from Melbourne's The Alfred Hospital that there had been a significant positive change.

"There's a big improvement. We're just waiting on the operation later today which is expected to tell us more," he said.

"He's out of the coma. They brought him out and have got rid of most of the tubing.

"The operation is expected to see what's left and to perform a clean-up around his left shoulder."

Michael said the cause of the superbug was completely unknown.

"The hospital staff said the bug could be caused by anything, through a cut or just trauma caused by a knock at footy ... there's no way to know," he said.

"It was just so aggressive, so quick. They'll be looking at that left arm, shoulder and his chest.

"They're saying it was lucky he was so fit, healthy and young which has helped him fight it.

"Everything is a lot more positive today. There was a bit of improvement overnight and then more today. He's just come back from the hyperbaric chamber and is asleep at the moment.

"He's still very groggy, knows you're there but doesn't say much."

Michael also thanked Warrnambool people for their support.

"It's been good, we just wanted to thank-you everyone," he said.

"The staff at the hospital have been great. We'll know a lot more after today's operation.

"They've certainly been able to identify the bugs and target them with antibiotics.

"They've told us he will be down here for maybe two weeks but it's a bit of wait and see. Everything changes pretty quickly," he said

Thursday: South Rovers star Tom Bowman is in an induced coma at Melbourne's The Alfred Hospital fighting for his life against a superbug infection.

Bowman, 26, dominated in Rovers' upset 21-point win against premiership contender Old Collegians last Saturday but within 48 hours was ill.

His father Michael said his son wasn't feeling well on Monday or Tuesday and went to the Warrnambool Base Hospital on Tuesday night on the urging of his mother Lee-anne.

Michael said within three hours Tom underwent surgery and was then flown to The Alfred Hospital in an induced coma where he underwent another bout of surgery.

"He's still in an induced coma," Michael said this morning while on the way to Melbourne to be by his son's side.

"They are trying to identify the bug so they can get the right antibiotics to treat him," he said.

"Hopefully they can identify it, treat him and bring him out of the coma."

Michael said Tom thought he must have copped a knock at footy because he pulled up with a sore left side after the game.

"He took Monday off. He doesn't take days off work. He went to physio and then Lee-anne and I went and saw him on Tuesday night to take around some tea," he said.

"Lee-anne took him to out-patients at the hospital."

Michael said Tom had an infection in his chest and down his left side.

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"They sent him to The Alfred to get specialist care. They have a hyperbaric chamber which promotes healing and he's had two or three sessions in there," he said.

"We've just got to wait and see how it all goes. It's lucky his organs are all good. The infection has not attacked them, it's attacked the fatty tissue.

"We'll just hope for the best and take it as it comes. You don't ever like to see your kids in a situation like this."

The father said his son had only been to the doctor once since 2011.

"We knew he wasn't feeling well and even more so when he agreed to go to hospital," he said.

"It was our turn to go and watch Mitch play on Saturday with North Warrnambool so we missed Tom's game last weekend," he said.

"I had a mate at the game who said he played real well.

"He's getting the best possible care. He's got a nurse with him 24 hours a day and we can call at any time."

Tom is a financial planner with McLaren Hunt Financial Group and he and his brother Mitch are the new co-coaches and captains of the Wesley-CBC Cricket Club.

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