North Melbourne youngster Paul Curtis has revealed that he was evacuated from Bali during the off-season, after he contracted a life-threatening illness and was later forced to undergo emergency surgery. At the conclusion of the 2025 season, the 22-year-old had travelled to the UK with a group of friends. ‘I went up to the front desk, and I said, like: “Guys, I can’t breathe”,’ he told 7News. It was here that he was diagnosed with a life-threatening illness called empyema, a condition where fluid builds up in the cavities around a person’s lungs. Dr Clay Golledge told 7News: ‘[It is] a serious, very serious, life-threatening illness and he could have died from this.’Curtis was placed on more antibiotics; however, his condition did not improve.

Source: Daily Mail January 18, 2026 13:52 UTC