After taking all before him in his debut year in 2010, an inconspicuous training incident brought an abrupt end to his preparations for 2011; less than three months on, things are looking up.
On Monday he ran for the first time at Aegis Park and recently he started kicking short distances.
"Basti's going really well. He's started to run, which is a real positive for us. His improvement has been terrific every day. There's a very noticeable improvement in what he's doing," North's Director of Sports Science and Conditioning Peter Mulkearns told kangaroos.com.au.
But despite his encouraging progress, the club isn't setting any dates on when he'll be available.
"We just want to make sure that we tick every box. We're not putting a timeframe on anything. It'll be sooner rather than later though the way he's going."
Bastinac could have been mistaken for a local kid as he hooned around Arden Street on a kick scooter but it wasn't all fun and games.
"It's just another way to strengthen the lower leg muscles, putting a lot of force through it. It's something that's been used for a while," Mulkearns added.
And such is the youngsters determination, he'll use whatever tools are available to speed up the recovery process.
 |
