The veteran goalkicker went down in the first 10 minutes of the Blues' loss to North Warrnambool Eagles on Saturday and was treated by paramedics at the scene before he was taken to hospital.

Warrnambool coach Parkinson was unsure of the severity of the injury. He hoped to visit Rowan in hospital on Saturday night.

"When we came in for half-time, it's not great vision when one of your players is sitting there - the MICA paramedic was there - and he's hooked up to monitors and sucking on the green whistle," he said.

"He had a drip in his arm. When we came off the ground, the boys sort of were diverted around the side of the changerooms. I went and spoke to the paramedic and he said it was OK (to come in).

"The green whistle had sort of kicked in for Rowy then and he wasn't in as bad of excruciating pain like he had been for the previous hour."

Parkinson said the incident was disappointing for Rowan, who returned to the club in 2020 after a three-season stint coaching Warrnambool and District league outfit Merrivale.

"The boys are pretty flat about it, as I am too. What he wanted to do was come back and finish his career here," he said.

"He wanted to get fit and not have the responsibility of coaching like he has the last three years and just have the responsibility of his own game.

"We just hope the aftermath is OK and he gets to come back for us."

North Warrnambool Eagles ran out 20.17 (137) to 8.7 (55) winners.

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