James Hird help for luckless Matthew Egan
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Jon Anderson
March 20, 2008 12:00am
THE foot injury that cruelly stole Matthew Egan's 2007 premiership dream has led to an alliance with James Hird and some career changing advice.
When Geelong fans see Egan return to the centre half-back spot where he earned All-Australian selection last year, they will view a far leaner version after he sought Hird's advice over a navicular fracture in his foot.
Hird missed the 1999 season with the same problem and returned to football 3kg lighter in Essendon's premiership year of 2000.
Egan, 24, has already reduced his weight from 101kg to 98kg over the pre-season, and plans to keep the weight off.
When Egan returns, however, is uncertain.
"I caught up with Hirdy for a coffee where he told me he played 3kg lighter after his injury," Egan said.
"Given the football is going with so much running and less contests, and a lot of free kicks in contest situations, the game is playing less and less on strength.
"Hirdy also told me not to put a time on when I will come back, just to get my foot right so I'm not putting a round on it.
"It was good advice because I was thinking the whole time, Round 10, Round 11 or Round 8, and it has taken the pressure off."
Egan's problems began in Round 22 last year at the Gabba against the Brisbane Lions when he was playing his 57th consecutive match.
After keeping Jonathan Brown quiet in the first quarter, Egan came down on his foot and felt soreness, prompting the Geelong medical staff to err on the side of caution with the finals close.
A night later, Egan knew he was in trouble when trying to negotiate the stairs at his girlfriend's house. The next morning, which was the Monday before Geelong's first final, he walked into the Geelong medical room.
"I walked in on the Monday morning, there were three doctors, two physios and three players.
"They all looked at me sort of funny and I knew I was in trouble especially when Kel (teammate James Kelly) looked at me and looked away. I thought, 'Sh.t, I'm in real trouble here'," Egan said.
Egan and Kelly have been friends since their Year 7 days when walking to school together, Kelly having put a good word in for his mate when the Cats were looking for some back-up tall defenders in 2004.
To play in a premiership with Kelly, captain Tom Harley, full-back Matthew Scarlett and every other Geelong player would have meant everything to Egan, who admits there were some very down moments when he broke down five days before the Collingwood preliminary final.
Until then, he had been progressing well, the extra screw (three in total) that was inserted in his foot seemingly providing the strength that would see him play in the Grand Final.
He has no regrets about attempting to play in the Grand Final against Port Adelaide, even if it has delayed his start to 2008 and was yesterday described as "probably a silly thing" by Geelong coach Mark Thompson.
"I had some really down moments when it happened, then I went back into the club and said I still want to be a part of it as much as I could," Egan said.
"They said we want you in every meeting during Grand Final week and in the box on Grand Final day. I sort of felt like a coach.
"It was tense in the box early but by the second half everyone sat back when it became obvious we would win.
" 'Bomber' thanked a few people in the box for their year and then walking down the stairs everyone was hugging.
"It hit me later on that I wasn't part of it, watching the players up on stage on the night. What motivates me now is to be part of it."
Thompson said yesterday there was no hurry to have Egan playing again.
"There's no rush on Matt. We expect Matthew to come back in his own time," he said.
"In hindsight it was probably a silly thing to (try to) get him up. We had to give him that hope. We did."
After breaking down Egan couldn't walk for four weeks and once he was out of his moon boot, things only got worse when he tried to run.
His foot was always swollen and sore, which was being caused by a screw hitting a bone in his foot. So a second operation, six weeks ago, has hopefully helped.
"An X-ray three weeks ago looked good," Egan said.
"The doctors rely on feel and if there is no soreness then that is very good. We will find out more when the swelling goes down but the signs are good. It feels 10 times better than after the first operation."
Poor bloke.
Article from:
</IMG>Jon Anderson
March 20, 2008 12:00am
THE foot injury that cruelly stole Matthew Egan's 2007 premiership dream has led to an alliance with James Hird and some career changing advice.
When Geelong fans see Egan return to the centre half-back spot where he earned All-Australian selection last year, they will view a far leaner version after he sought Hird's advice over a navicular fracture in his foot.
Hird missed the 1999 season with the same problem and returned to football 3kg lighter in Essendon's premiership year of 2000.
Egan, 24, has already reduced his weight from 101kg to 98kg over the pre-season, and plans to keep the weight off.
When Egan returns, however, is uncertain.
"I caught up with Hirdy for a coffee where he told me he played 3kg lighter after his injury," Egan said.
"Given the football is going with so much running and less contests, and a lot of free kicks in contest situations, the game is playing less and less on strength.
"Hirdy also told me not to put a time on when I will come back, just to get my foot right so I'm not putting a round on it.
"It was good advice because I was thinking the whole time, Round 10, Round 11 or Round 8, and it has taken the pressure off."
Egan's problems began in Round 22 last year at the Gabba against the Brisbane Lions when he was playing his 57th consecutive match.
After keeping Jonathan Brown quiet in the first quarter, Egan came down on his foot and felt soreness, prompting the Geelong medical staff to err on the side of caution with the finals close.
A night later, Egan knew he was in trouble when trying to negotiate the stairs at his girlfriend's house. The next morning, which was the Monday before Geelong's first final, he walked into the Geelong medical room.
"I walked in on the Monday morning, there were three doctors, two physios and three players.
"They all looked at me sort of funny and I knew I was in trouble especially when Kel (teammate James Kelly) looked at me and looked away. I thought, 'Sh.t, I'm in real trouble here'," Egan said.
Egan and Kelly have been friends since their Year 7 days when walking to school together, Kelly having put a good word in for his mate when the Cats were looking for some back-up tall defenders in 2004.
To play in a premiership with Kelly, captain Tom Harley, full-back Matthew Scarlett and every other Geelong player would have meant everything to Egan, who admits there were some very down moments when he broke down five days before the Collingwood preliminary final.
Until then, he had been progressing well, the extra screw (three in total) that was inserted in his foot seemingly providing the strength that would see him play in the Grand Final.
He has no regrets about attempting to play in the Grand Final against Port Adelaide, even if it has delayed his start to 2008 and was yesterday described as "probably a silly thing" by Geelong coach Mark Thompson.
"I had some really down moments when it happened, then I went back into the club and said I still want to be a part of it as much as I could," Egan said.
"They said we want you in every meeting during Grand Final week and in the box on Grand Final day. I sort of felt like a coach.
"It was tense in the box early but by the second half everyone sat back when it became obvious we would win.
" 'Bomber' thanked a few people in the box for their year and then walking down the stairs everyone was hugging.
"It hit me later on that I wasn't part of it, watching the players up on stage on the night. What motivates me now is to be part of it."
Thompson said yesterday there was no hurry to have Egan playing again.
"There's no rush on Matt. We expect Matthew to come back in his own time," he said.
"In hindsight it was probably a silly thing to (try to) get him up. We had to give him that hope. We did."
After breaking down Egan couldn't walk for four weeks and once he was out of his moon boot, things only got worse when he tried to run.
His foot was always swollen and sore, which was being caused by a screw hitting a bone in his foot. So a second operation, six weeks ago, has hopefully helped.
"An X-ray three weeks ago looked good," Egan said.
"The doctors rely on feel and if there is no soreness then that is very good. We will find out more when the swelling goes down but the signs are good. It feels 10 times better than after the first operation."
Poor bloke.
