AT 17, Andrew Gilmore had his life in front of him.
It was cut tragically short after a freak incident on May 9 when he was playing for Glenorden under-18s in their Western Region Football League match against Wyndhamvale Juniors.
Gilmore was struck in the sternum during a marking contest.
Immediately after the collision, he was rushed to the Werribee Mercy Hospital, where scans revealed he had a ruptured pancreas.
Surgeons at The Alfred hospital removed half his pancreas two days later.
Andrew had been recovering well since returning home on May 19, but last Friday morning he woke complaining of stomach pains.
His family called an ambulance, but he collapsed before it arrived.
Paramedics tried unsuccessfully for two hours to revive him,
and he died shortly afterwards in hospital.
It is believed Andrew's death was caused by a blood clot which travelled into his lungs.
On Saturday, Glenorden Football Club declared a day of mourning and forfeited its matches to pay tribute to one of its favourite sons.
Andrew, an apprentice roof tiler, was a talented footballer and cricketer.
The former Galvin Park Secondary College student was known to friends as 'Happy', after the film Happy Gilmore.
He had previously tried out for the TAC Cup under-18 Western Jets and was recently selected in the Western Region Football League representative side.
His stepfather, Jason Delia, said football was Andrew's life and he wanted to one day play for his beloved Bombers.
"Like every footballer, he put his body on the line," he said.
"There was absolutely no malice in the incident.
"Andrew loved his family and friends and his sport, and was just one of those kids every parent hopes for."
Andrew's mother, Irene, said the family, including his siblings, Cassandra, Jake and Tyson, along with his girlfriend, Stevie, were struggling to come to terms with their loss.
"He was the kindest boy you could ever meet," she said.
"If you asked him to do something, he would do it, and never had a bad word to say about anyone.