Crows star Tom Doedee has revealed the emotional toll of his crushing season-ending knee injury.

    

Tom Douday has revealed the emotional toll of his crushing season ending knee injury. But in an exclusive interview with Nine News, Douday says he's drawing inspiration and perspective from his older brother. A double leg amputee from a devastating car accident. 

A brief escape to the Gold Coast to brighten what's been a dark few days for Tom Douday. Yeah, probably about 3 .30 in the morning it all hit me. Started to get a bit angry, like punching the pillow and stuff because I just, in my mind, I sort of knew. That's when I sort of realised what it was. 

That emotional outpouring coming just hours after a devastating fall in Darwin on Saturday night. It was a lot going down his dooday. He looks like he's in a world of paint. And he was the dejected defender reaching out to his partner Emily back in Adelaide and his worried mum in the stands. 

Just the two important people, the two important females in the life that care about me the most. Despite initial tests, Douday knew he'd likely torn his anterior cruciate ligament, having suffered the same injury on his left knee in 2019. Not that it makes this time any easier. 

Knowing the hard work that goes into it's going to be tough, so definitely worse knowing what's coming. What's coming is a year out of the game he loves so dearly. Game day is my favourite part of the year, part of the week. I just love playing in front of a big crowd. I love the feeling of a big intercept mark in the crowd cheer on. 

I'm going to miss that more than anything. He's kicked us easily. Plucked off by Douday. He's there. Number one interceptor. But the 26 year old doesn't need to look far for inspiration or perspective. My brother, he had a car accident when he was 17. 

He's double leg amputee. The biggest thing is surround yourself with good people and you'll get through things. I actually called my brother last night and was just talking to him and I was like in the end I'm going to be able to walk into surgery. 

I'll be able to walk out of surgery. He's in the wheelchair the rest of his life. Douday's injury could also cost the free agent hundreds of thousands of dollars over the next few years. That's regardless of whether he decides to keep playing his football here in Adelaide, while clubs back home in Victoria are now less likely to offer him a big money deal. 

Yeah, not the way I wanted it to go and it hurts but it hasn't played on my mind as much as people would think. I think obviously it's been a talk after it happened. He's in a contract year. It's going to hurt his value. We'll cross that bridge probably a week or two post -⁠surgery. 

That's surgery coming next week after Douday returns from visiting family where another long road to recovery awaits. Josh Money, 9 News.