I was pretty scared and frustrated at the time. Scared because I was concerned that it was something I would have to manage for the rest of my career and frustrated because I was stringing some games together for Williamstown in the VFL. That was over a month ago now and I can certainly say my attitude to it all has changed.
From the beginning fitness staff and team mates reassured me that if I treated it right and didn’t make it worse then everything would be fine. A recovery program was designed for me that included three stages. Stage one was working on my core stability and strength in my leg muscles so that they work better together to reduce stress on the injured area. I have done that and now moved on to stage two this week, which includes swimming and bike riding. Once the fitness staff are happy with that progress then I will be able move onto to stage three - running, kicking and other football related skills.
While not playing is still a little frustrating, it doesn’t mean I’m not involved with helping my teammates.
Since my injury I have been helping Robert Murphy go over his match tapes and reviewing his performances. Each week I sit down with him and Wayne Campbell and we talk about different parts his game that were good or need improving. Murph is a very smart bloke and a very good footballer so it was a little bit daunting the first time I sat in on one of his reviews trying to give him feedback.
I have really enjoyed going through the review process with him. Helping him try to improve his game is a great learning experience for me too and I’m sure that it will make me a better player when I return to the field.
For now I’m happy working hard on my fitness, managing my injury and supporting my teammates in any way possible. I might not be playing but I still get motivated by being part of the group and a winning culture that so far this year has been very successful.
