Horror on-field incident leaves footy player, 23, with her spine broken in three places

A much-loved young footy player is facing an uncertain future after breaking her spine in three places in a tackle gone horribly wrong.

The awful incident unfolded when Mikaela Lankowski was injured while attempting to tackle an opponent during a rugby league for Dalby Diehards against the Gatton Hawks in Queensland on May 12.

After 'she felt some tingling in her hands', the 23-year-old was made to remain stationary until the ambulance arrived. 

Lankowski was transported to Dalby Hospital before being moved to Toowoomba Hospital and eventually Brisbane's Princess Alexandra Hospital.

The popular club identity then received the news she was dreading, with scans confirming a fracture and two breaks in three of her vertebrae.

Lankowski - who was working as a cleaner at Dalby Hospital - is now awaiting surgery and also faces a lengthy rehabilitation process. 

Her teammates - led by captain Sarah Milton - have rallied around her.

A GoFundMe page has since been established to assist with associated costs, with just over $6500 raised at the time of publication.

'It's heartbreaking really,' Milton told News Corp. 'Mikaela is a truly wonderful person, very unassuming.

'She [has already] reached out to the girl that she tackled to say 'don't worry, it's not your fault.'

'She loves her footy, is a great leader and gives her all in everything she does in life.

'Mik is the life of the party everywhere we go.'