NATIMUK Football Club will ask the Horsham District Football League to investigate an incident which left teenage ruckman Bryce Hateley in a Melbourne hospital with a fractured vertebrae in his neck.

The incident happened when Hateley, 17, was in a contest with Swifts ruckman Sam Cooper early in the first quarter of a seniors match on Saturday afternoon.

Natimuk senior vice president Greg Radford said he had talks with Wimmera football general manager Stephen McQueen yesterday.

"We want to follow proper channels and have the matter investigated by the league," Radford said.

McQueen said the Rams would have to send a written letter and a $500 cheque to start any investigation. He said any club had five working days to send the letter.

Natimuk trainer Ian Nesbitt attended to Hateley on the ground, before an ambulance took him to Wimmera Base Hospital.

Doctors in Horsham diagnosed a fractured sixth vertebrae of his neck.

Radford said he had been air-lifted to Melbourne for further treatment yesterday afternoon.

Radford said Hateley had movement throughout his body.

"He has feeling in both his fingers and his toes," Radford said.

"We are lucky we have the right people in the right positions. Ian, our trainer, was fantastic.

"It has effected everyone at the club. I know Ian was quite distraught after the game."

Natimuk coach Nathan Fidler also demanded a league investigation into the incident.

"It was a disgraceful, cowardly act," Fidler said.

"It was blatantly a head-high hit on our player. It was very disappointing."

Fidler said he had been disappointed in the umpires' reaction to the incident.

"A free kick was paid but that was it," Fidler said.

"The umpires were a disgrace. If we are trying to umpire games like the AFL then why wasn't the player reported.

"In the AFL, a player would be suspended for 10 weeks."

Swifts coach Jamie Britten said he had not seen the incident.

"I know there were a number of players contesting the ball," Britten said.

"The umpire was right on top of it. But I was in the forward pocket at the time. Nobody likes to see anything like that happen.

"I think it shook both sides up a fair bit."

Britten said his player believed Hateley had fallen heavily, contributing to the injury.

"Sam said he didn't think he had got him too hard. His fall might have also been pretty heavy."

Fidler said he hoped Hateley would make a full recovery.

"I played with a guy who had a similar injury and he did not play again," Fidler said.

"I don't care about whether he plays football again. There are bigger things in life.

"He is only a young bloke with a big future ahead of him so I just want him to get well."