On the footy field he's known as 'Howie' and some mates call him ‘Moose'. The sticker on the back of his bright blue car says ‘Playboy', but one thing known for sure is that Andrew Howarth is a very well liked young man in Goulburn.

About a month ago he was awarded ‘Rookie of the Year' for the part he played in the under-18 Stockmen 2002 league premiership. Following an accident at the family home on Sunday, Andrew is in the intensive care unit of St George Hospital in Sydney in an induced coma.

"He was helping dad build a loft in the back shed at our house, just to make a bit more room for storage," Andrew's sister Tanya said. "The ladder buckled underneath him and he fell and when he did he hit his head on the concrete."

The fall is believed to have been from a height of about three metres. Andrew was rushed to Goulburn Base Hospital where the surgeon on duty Dr Oliver Florica "did a fantastic job," according to Tanya. "We have so much to thank him for."

The year 12 Mulwaree High School student who celebrated his 18th birthday in July was collected from Goulburn by the NRMA CareFlight helicopter and arrived in Sydney in a critical condition at 7.15pm.

"It's still touch and go at the moment. Hospital staff are trying to stabilise him now. He underwent one lot of surgery in Goulburn and has been into surgery twice more since being in Sydney," Tanya said late on Monday afternoon.

One of four children to Frank and Dianne Howarth, Andrew is halfway through his HSC at the moment, but Tanya says his true love is football.

"He was over the moon about winning the competition this year and about being presented with a club award and he was looking forward so much to playing first grade next year. Now we'll just have to wait and see.

"All the family just want to say a big thank you. We've had loads of support and everyone has been great," she said.

Local man Bob Kirk has been associated with Andrew through the Goulburn Stockmen Club and also through the Big Merino complex, where both men used to work.