Mum suffers spinal injuries in freak footy accident

A mother who was hit in the face by a football outside Etihad Stadium has been left with spinal injuries.

Jodie Burns spent several days in hospital after the freak accident, and is now facing a long and painful recovery.

"I've got consistent shakes because two discs are bulging and I've got an indentation on my spinal cord," she said.

She and her family were lining up to buy tickets for the Carlton and GWS clash at Etihad Stadium last weekend.

When Jodie reached the front of the line, a wayward ball kicked by a fellow fan struck her in the face.

"I honestly thought I'd been shot from the impact because it was so hard," she said.

"I put my hand up expecting to see blood because it sounded like a gun going off."

The force pushed her neck in an awkward direction.

"I was taken to the Royal Melbourne Hospital and had immediate scans because they thought I'd broken my neck or back," she said.

A week on, Jodie is using a walking frame and the pain is still unbearable.

She takes a daily cocktail of medication just to get out of bed.

While kicking a Sherrin around before a game is not uncommon, Jodie said the signs at the stadium need to be taken seriously.

She is evidence that a stray ball can cause significant injuries.

She now has an anxious wait to find out if her injuries are permanent.

While Etihad is aware of the incident, it will not be pursuing the person responsible.