Former AFL tribunal advocate Iain Findlay’s sickening injuries revealed after road rage attack

WARNING: GRAPHIC CONTENT

Much-loved AFL identity Iain “Fingers” Findlay has suffered sickening injuries after a wild road rage attack on Melbourne’s Monash Freeway.

The former team manager for Essendon, Fitzroy (Lions), South Melbourne (Sydney) and Victoria — and former AFL tribunal advocate — was the victim of a brazen road rage attack last Thursday night and is still in hospital.

“A guy pulled up and threw a rock at the car so I tried to push him over to the side to get his details,” Findlay told gun 7NEWS reporter Xander McGuire.

“And as I got out of the car, he gunned his car straight at me, smashed into me, trapped me and travelled for about 80 metres with me underneath the car.”

Findlay was a police detective for 21 years and is also a Vietnam Veteran.

He said he had never seen an incident quite like this.

After he was dragged along road, the 78-year-old was spat out and left lying on the freeway before a nurse and a doctor stopped to help.

Then two passing semi-trailers manoeuvred their trucks to guard him from the passing traffic.

Now doctors are telling him he will need at least another month in The Avenue hospital in Melbourne for skin grafts.

McGuire said “there’s no way to measure the psychological impact on Findlay and his wife” but Findlay still had a “bone-crushing” handshake and a steely resolve.

“One thing’s for certain, Iain Findlay is lucky to be alive,” McGuire said.

Police have confirmed to 7NEWS that a 19-year-old man pulled up next to Findlay in a Toyota Yaris and fled the scene before he was stopped by good Samaritans a short distance away and then arrested.

Police said they were still investigating the “hit-run collision” and the 19-year-old was expected to be charged on summons.

“It is understood the driver of a Lexus sedan exited his vehicle and went to confront the driver of a Toyota Yaris before he was struck by the vehicle,” a police statement said.

“Investigators believe the drivers were involved in a road rage incident prior to the collision.

“The driver of the Lexus, a 77-year-old man, was transported to hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.

“The driver of the Toyota, a 19-year-old man, fled the scene before he was stopped by good Samaritans a short distance away and arrested by police.”

They said the investigation was ongoing and were appealing to witnesses of the incident who may have dashcam vision or CCTV.