Past #1: Majak Daw [Part II] - 54 NM games/43 NM goals - delisted end '20 - SSP selection for MFC '21 - retired mid-'22

I’m surprised by that Uncle. I don’t reckon a few part time VFL games is enough to get him AFL match fit. I reckon he would at least need a couple more

On the face of it, that would seem like fairly reasonable logic. Coming back from devastating injuries, been out of the game at AFL level for a long time, at the very least the speed of the game might find him out a little, etc, etc.

But then saying all that, Maj continues to blow pretty much every normal expectation I have out of the water, so what the hell would I know.

Either way, one thing I do know is that I'll be absolutely ****ing ecstatic if he manages to run out for a game this season. Epic moment for Maj, the club, and all North supporters.
 
Last edited:
Sep 11, 2014
10,392
20,191
AFL Club
North Melbourne
I think he would at least play a few full games in the VFL first before even considering a AFL game

I would be happy for him to play their for the rest of the year build up his fitness and match conditioning then launch him in 2020
 
If he’s playing well enough in the VFL, then he should be picked. It’s the same deal with any other player coming back after serious lower body injuries. Physically, he’s already had three opportunities to pull up sore and everything has gone well. If the same thing happens this week and he skates through, then, the question becomes “Is Maj good enough”? If the answer is “yes”, then, he plays against Hawthorn. Makes sense to me, anyway.


On iPhone using BigFooty.com mobile app
 
If he’s playing well enough in the VFL, then he should be picked. It’s the same deal with any other player coming back after serious lower body injuries. Physically, he’s already had three opportunities to pull up sore and everything has gone well. If the same thing happens this week and he skates through, then, the question becomes “Is Maj good enough”? If the answer is “yes”, then, he plays against Hawthorn. Makes sense to me, anyway.


On iPhone using BigFooty.com mobile app

.... also, is he fit enough tank-wise for the AFL? That’s, probably, the only remaining area that Majak struggles with at the best of times. After such a long break, how much running has he done?


On iPhone using BigFooty.com mobile app
 
Jan 23, 2019
11,904
43,659
AFL Club
North Melbourne
As it stands and probably hasn't been discussed is he's made a 100% recovery. So whether he gets a game this year or not isn't really that important....

we look to be picking up a intercepting KP back next year for nothing. Said it before Bruce aint kicking near six goals with Majak in the side and anyone other KPF who thinks he'll be clunking them next year against us is going to be disappointed
 
Apr 24, 2013
81,024
153,170
Arden Street Hill
AFL Club
North Melbourne
Other Teams
Essendon Lawn Bowls Club
What's this bulls**t 'hamstring awareness' phrase that has crept in?

Just tell it how it is. Surely it's at least tightness and possibly a strain.


I suspect it's a slight strain that they don't want to aggravate.

As for the evolution of language as bullshit, the world thrives on it now.
 

kangaspurs

Cancelled
Jul 14, 2014
9,722
18,848
AFL Club
North Melbourne
Other Teams
Tottenham, Melbourne City FC
What's this bulls**t 'hamstring awareness' phrase that has crept in?

Just tell it how it is. Surely it's at least tightness and possibly a strain.
Eh, obviously I'm no professional athlete, but as someone who has pinged the string on both legs a number of times playing local footy, I know what they mean by that.

It's kinda hard to explain, but awareness does it well, and I'd be interested to know if others who have torn hammies before have felt the same. For me it was a feeling that something wasn't quite right, but it wasn't necessarily tight either.

When I was less knowledgeable and after I'd only done it once, I felt the 'awareness' at training, but kept training because I thought I was on the verge of getting dropped from the 1s, kept training and sue enough it went about 15 minutes later. Being the adaptable creature I am, every time I got that feeling again after that, which has been a number of times, I eased off.

Take it with some salt or whatever as an amateur sporting experience, but I personally understand the use of that term.
 
Sep 11, 2014
10,392
20,191
AFL Club
North Melbourne
Eh, obviously I'm no professional athlete, but as someone who has pinged the string on both legs a number of times playing local footy, I know what they mean by that.

It's kinda hard to explain, but awareness does it well, and I'd be interested to know if others who have torn hammies before have felt the same. For me it was a feeling that something wasn't quite right, but it wasn't necessarily tight either.

When I was less knowledgeable and after I'd only done it once, I felt the 'awareness' at training, but kept training because I thought I was on the verge of getting dropped from the 1s, kept training and sue enough it went about 15 minutes later. Being the adaptable creature I am, every time I got that feeling again after that, which has been a number of times, I eased off.

Take it with some salt or whatever as an amateur sporting experience, but I personally understand the use of that term.

So he may be ok?
 
Eh, obviously I'm no professional athlete, but as someone who has pinged the string on both legs a number of times playing local footy, I know what they mean by that.

It's kinda hard to explain, but awareness does it well, and I'd be interested to know if others who have torn hammies before have felt the same. For me it was a feeling that something wasn't quite right, but it wasn't necessarily tight either.

When I was less knowledgeable and after I'd only done it once, I felt the 'awareness' at training, but kept training because I thought I was on the verge of getting dropped from the 1s, kept training and sue enough it went about 15 minutes later. Being the adaptable creature I am, every time I got that feeling again after that, which has been a number of times, I eased off.

Take it with some salt or whatever as an amateur sporting experience, but I personally understand the use of that term.

Funnily enough i was thinking exactly the same thing until i thought about it and remembered what it was like when I did my hammies. On at least two occasions what you describe happened. Once I had the "awareness" at Thurs training near the end and did it 30 seconds into the game on Saturday.
 

kangaspurs

Cancelled
Jul 14, 2014
9,722
18,848
AFL Club
North Melbourne
Other Teams
Tottenham, Melbourne City FC
So he may be ok?
Haha I have no idea. I'll leave that to the professionals at the club to determine.

I was just using my experience to say that I understand what they mean when they say he had some 'awareness' of his hamstring.
Funnily enough i was thinking exactly the same thing until i thought about it and remembered what it was like when I did my hammies. On at least two occasions what you describe happened. Once I had the "awareness" at Thurs training near the end and did it 30 seconds into the game on Saturday.
Yeah, it's an odd feeling because, at least for me, it wasn't actually tight, but there was, for want of a better word, a sensation there, and it was in the same spot where I'd previously injured it. I honestly don't know how to explain it better or what to compare it to. I wonder if there's a sports science or physio person around here that maybe can explain the physiology of it.
 
Yeah, it's an odd feeling because, at least for me, it wasn't actually tight, but there was, for want of a better word, a sensation there, and it was in the same spot where I'd previously injured it. I honestly don't know how to explain it better or what to compare it to. I wonder if there's a sports science or physio person around here that maybe can explain the physiology of it.

It didn't feel right but it didn't feel wrong ... if that makes sense.

It just felt like ... something. When normally it was unnoticeable.

I have a mate who was an osteopath, does acupuncture and is a highly qualified practitioner of Chinese medicine (as well as being a mad bastard). He has a really good understanding of anatomy too. Holistically. Ie That little weakness in your left knee will be reflected in the way you hold your body here, here and here and may cause you back and shoulder problems. He kept up with stuff, medical currency and was pretty intent on

His theory of acupuncture is this (he does consider chi as a thing but he works practically and uses western terms when he's describing stuff) - lots of minor injuries are not really noticeable. Tiny tears in muscles especially. He reckons the muscles around those injuries don't relax properly because they are trying to keep the injured fibres or area slack to facilitate their healing instead of allowing them to be exposed to tension that might further exacerbate the injury. This can be a problem. often they sort themselves out but sometimes they don't or something happens to the fibres around the injury trying to take the tension off.

He said it usually is noticeable as a tiny little ball or lump in the muscle. Miniscule but noticeable if you feel for it carefully. He was right too. I found what he was describing regularly and it responds to massage as well. These days I wonder if it'd correspond to what they call a hot spot.

He used to rock up at our local shop, grab a beer or two and hang around in the arvo as we all knocked off work. Then he'd check each of us and give us acupuncture if we had any aches and pains or maybe do some other work or recommend specific exercises. He kept people going up here for years and if he wasn't another mad campaigner from the hills could probably have had a job at any number of professional sporting organisations if he'd wanted. He's on his last legs now and its noticeable how many other people miss work because they can't get the treatment he used to provide.

I used to talk about injuries to him when I was playing footy and ... described what i mentioned upthread. He said hammies and that process I noted above went together and suggested that I might have been noticing that.

Its just an anecdote but i thought it was worth mentioning.
 
Back