Stone sticks up for Smith – Wide World of Sports – Ninemsn

As McKinnon is carried off the field by a number of medical personnel, after the match at AAMI Park was stopped for eight minutes, Smith continues arguing with referee Gerard Sutton about the merits of a penalty awarded due to the tackle.

“I’ve known Cameron since he was 19″, Stone said. That’s what it felt like, ” he told interviewer Liz Hayes.

Smith said “if he doesn’t duck his head, that doesn’t happen” on the field.

Despite the hardship in the 15 months since the accident, the bright spot has been the engagement between McKinnon and partner Ms Power.

“I’ve got three young children of my own…so I couldn’t even imagine what the family’s going through at the moment”, Smith said on Friday.

“He said ‘I can’t get through this myself, I need you, I want you to be here with me for the rest of my life, and he just said, will you marry me?'”, Ms Power said.

On Channel Nine’s 60 Minutes program on Sunday night, McKinnon was shown for the first time the immediate aftermath of the tackle of him in March past year in a match between his Newcastle Knights and Smith’s Melbourne Storm.

In their statement, the Storm said Smith and teammates made several attempts to speak with McKinnon in the aftermath of the injury. He credited her with installing hope, staying by his side, and the pair are looking forward to a promising future, with the goal for McKinnon to one day walk his love down the aisle.

“It’s affected him to some degree”. I don’t know how much it will cost and they don’t know how much they can give me.

“Storm players led by captain Cameron Smith requested to visit Alex in hospital numerous times while he was in Melbourne”.

Parker admitted McKinnon’s feelings, which will be expanded upon in his upcoming book, will have an impact on Smith, who helped launch last season’s Rise For Alex round that raised over $1 million dollars for McKinnon’s recovery.

The 23 year-old has revealed he hasn’t heard from Smith after the incident.

Storm responded to the comments via a statement, insisting Smith was unaware of the severity of McKinnon’s injury at the time and he had attempted to seek contact with the player.

“The facts of the story are not in dispute, and the opinions expressed are those honestly held by Alex and his family”.

“Nup. I don’t know whether he’s tried, but I’m sure if Jordan McLean could make contact he could”.

McKinnon also said he had not heard from the Australian and Queensland captain since the accident.

“Hopefully Alex is willing to receive the phone call as well”.