During the pre-season I suffered a slight set back when I suffered an ankle injury at training. Originally we had a fair idea of what the problem was but I went off and had scans just to make sure we got the correct diagnosis from a medical point of view.
The diagnosis was not great with a medial ligament in my ankle as well as a bit of the bone being torn off. And so the process started, I was stuck in a moon boot for two weeks and had to stay off it for those two weeks to allow the bone to re-attach and heal.
It is a really slow process once you get out of the moon boot. You slowly start walking and then begin to do some work on an alter G machine. The alter G machine is a machine that supports your body weight so you are not putting a full load through your ankle.
Once I could cope with that I moved into some running outside, it is a lot of straight line running and longer distances before building into agility and off line work. While doing all that work you are in the gym doing separate work on your calf and your ankle to get the range back into it because I had lost a lot of range with the swelling that had occurred.
The first couple of weeks aren’t too bad because it is early in pre-season but towards the end of the injury and the closer the team got to taking part in pre-season games that is when the frustration began.
When you start to see your teammates putting what you have done in training into practice and not being able to do that is one thing that is frustrating. You are just not able to see where you are at and gauge the reflection as to where I can fit myself in, in terms of position and how I have improved in the last six months.
A big goal for me was being able to play that first NAB Cup game which I was so close to playing and I was doing extra work to try and get there. It was quite disappointing to not be able to play that match, despite it being a NAB Cup game, you train so hard since November and then you get told you haven’t been able to do enough work.
It is disappointing but the longevity in terms of the benefit you will get out of having an extra week off is a lot more beneficial than playing just once game of NAB Cup. That game was probably only going to be a half so your not actually going to be able to get much out of doing that. It is more a mental thing that makes you want to play that game so badly.
That all put me back a little bit before I came back through the VFL and the biggest thing was having the right attitude. In previous years I probably haven’t had the best attitude in terms of playing.
I have taken a different approach this season and seen it as simply an opportunity to play footy. You train for so long then to not be able to play and finally get the opportunity, it is what you are paid to do and it is your job and there are limited opportunities during the year.
Even though they might just be VFL practice matches, the ability to play at an AFL intensity and level is primarily dictated by my attitude and willingness to play my role for the team.
I have taken the approach to really enjoy playing footy, as I feel if I am enjoying myself, in more than likely playing good footy and therefore should be playing senior AFL football. We have had the majority of the team being Essendon listed players in the VFL for much of the pre-season. This means you have a core group around you that is young, exciting and it is really enjoyable going back.
It is not a drama to play at that level, as it once seemed to be. In the past when you have to travel off to Bendigo and stuff like that it can be a bit more tiring. If anything it has been really good having our own VFL side and you have guys around you that are in the same position and you all work together towards one goal, that goal of working your way back into the senior side.
For now I better get back to training, but if you have a topic you would like to hear send an email to tcolyer@essendonfc.com.au and I will attempt to cover it off throughout the season.
Don’t miss your chance to win one million dollars this season by predicting the ladder at the end of the home and away season.
