Footy star is rushed to hospital unable to walk after cutting himself in Bali accident - then making a BIG mistake when he returned to Australia

A seemingly innocuous accident on holiday has turned into a scary trip to hospital for former Adelaide Crows AFL player James Rowe.

The 24-year-old was sent to hospital with a knee swollen to the size of a watermelon and is currently recovering in an IV drip at home after a scooter crash in Bali.

However, it wasn't the accident that did the most damage, with a simple mistake landing him in hospital again after he returned to Australia.

Rowe, who was delisted at the end of the 2022 season and currently plays for SANFL club Woodville-West Torrens, only required a handful of stitches because of the accident.

It was a dip in the Murray River with Adelaide Crows star Harry Schoenberg that did the bulk of the damage.

James' father Stephen, a prominent footy commentator and former Adelaide player himself, explained what happened to radio station FIVEaa.    

'Our little Jimmy has had a bit of a rough time of it. He cut his knee in a little minor scooter crash in Bali, I think he had four stitches — so, there's lesson one,' Stephen said.

'Last Saturday, he swam in the Murray River with an open cut — well there, I guess, is lesson number two. 

'There should be a public service announcement for that, because I've been in the ED [emergency department] on and off for the last week, and they're getting about 10 patients a day — that Murray River's not good for bugs.

'Within four hours of swimming, his knee swelled up like a balloon. 

'Lucky [Crows player] Harry Schoenberg's dad's had a similar infection [and] took him straight to the hospital. Within four hours, it was the size of a watermelon and he couldn't walk.'

James was taken to Royal Adelaide Hospital, but they had to leave because of massive demand in the emergency ward. 

'I picked him up and took him to the RAH, we sat there in the ED, he got bored with it all, we weren't getting looked at because there were thousands of people, so there's lesson number three: hang in there,' Stephen said. 

 But as the knee continued to swell, they were forced to return.

'We spent last Sunday in hospital, James was treated and then sent home, homecare nurses looked after him — well, there's lesson number four: probably should have booked him into a private hospital,' Stephen said.

'After about five antibiotics, he was rushed to hospital (on) Thursday, his leg just looked awful, the infection was growing. They admitted him in and there was a bit more urgency. He had MRIs and ultrasounds, there were surgeons, there were swabs and cultures.'

Rowe is now at home and on the mend, but will still require medical care. 

'But look, he's home, every six hours he has a clinical nurse [give him] another antibiotic through the drip, there is a doctor that rings him every 12 hours,' Stephen went on.

'He's got a fair fight on his hands, fingers crossed.

'He's still got a bit of a battle on his hands, but there are a few lessons there, and if people are listening: do not swim in the Murray with any open cut.'