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Superstar ACL injuries

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Happy Idiot

Happy Idiot

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Just looking for a few good answers, because I don't know.

Has there been a legitimate superstar of the game to have done an ACL and either continue to perform at 'league-best' level or rise to that standard post-op?

It seems like it takes just enough out of a player to prevent them from ever being top four or five in the league.

There are a couple that could, currently, in Max King and Cam Rayner if things go well for them.
 
Robbie Gray.

Did his ACL in 2012.

His 2014 season was immense
 

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Max Gawn did his when younger - maybe a couple of times?

As far as the injury occurring within someone’s prime and them returning to their pre-knee best…

Hmmm…

Michael Long and Shaun Rehn both played great footy between doing knees (i.e. did one, came back, played well, did another).

Glen Jakovich won a B&F but was never as good as pre-knee.
 
Matthew Richardson.

Best comeback game from a knee - Darren Bewick.
 
I would speculate that the surgery and rehab has become a lot better. Schwarz was never the same after his knees blew out but given his off field activities he may have never actually hit super stardom anyway. It seems most are able to get back their best post-ACL with the exception of poor bastards where there’s clearly something structurally wrong like Menzel or Alex Johnson.
 

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ACLs are overrated unless you’re (sadly) an Alex Johnson case.

Recovery rates are excellent with the right rehab and there are very few ongoing issues.
 
Altum Volantes said:
Paul Salmon is a good one - a different player but still a very good player.
Click to expand...
True. Did knee, came back for 85/93 premierships and made Hawthorns t.o.t.c. Probably has claims for the best ever comeback from a total knee reconstruction.
 
Daniltchenko Magic said:
ACLs are overrated unless you’re (sadly) an Alex Johnson case.

Recovery rates are excellent with the right rehab and there are very few ongoing issues.
Click to expand...
Some do, some don’t for every successful comeback there is a sad story.
 
Taylor Walker

Brodie Smith

Tex had his career best season 8 years afterwards.
 
Last edited:
Max Gawn 2 ACL's & 5 AA's after

Petracca ACL & 2 AA's after

Sent from my SM-G981B using Tapatalk
 

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It used to be that they never came back the same after doing a knee.

Richo was AA with 91 goals the year after a reco.

Dyer did it at 18 after already representing Victoria. No true reco's in those days and could only run in straight lines but still became a Legend.

Hart hobbled by 29, Free, Coughlan, Dragicevic less fortunate. Pirrie, Jackson. Rance, Gaspar, Kellaway.

Barry Richardson did his knee in game #2 and again in 1973, forced to retire at 28. Kept Hudson goalless and booted 5 in a GF in his last game.
 
Last edited:
Daniltchenko Magic said:
ACLs are overrated unless you’re (sadly) an Alex Johnson case.

Recovery rates are excellent with the right rehab and there are very few ongoing issues.
Click to expand...

Ruined & ended a few careers before medicine got it right.

One time Eagles coach John Todd was one:
Few players have exploded onto the football scene as sensationally as did John Todd in 1955 when, as a seventeen year old, he not only represented the state and won South Fremantle’s fairest and best award, he became the youngest ever winner of the Sandover Medal. South Australian legend Bob Quinn, after witnessing Todd’s debut at interstate level against South Australia, ventured the opinion that the youngster “was the most complete footballer for his age that he had seen"¹.

Todd sustained a serious knee injury against East Perth in round 7 1956. The road to recovery was long and hard, but after several aborted comeback attempts he finally returned to something approaching his best late in the 1958
Few players have exploded onto the football scene as sensationally as did John Todd in 1955 when, as a seventeen year old, he not only represented the state and won South Fremantle’s fairest and best award, he became the youngest ever winner of the Sandover Medal. South Australian legend Bob Quinn, after witnessing Todd’s debut at interstate level against South Australia, ventured the opinion that the youngster “was the most complete footballer for his age that he had seen"¹.

Todd sustained a serious knee injury against East Perth in round 7 1956. The road to recovery was long and hard, but after several aborted comeback attempts he finally returned to something approaching his best late in the 1958

Australian Football - John Todd - Player Bio

australianfootball.com australianfootball.com
 
Kwality said:
Ruined & ended a few careers before medicine got it right.

One time Eagles coach John Todd was one:
Few players have exploded onto the football scene as sensationally as did John Todd in 1955 when, as a seventeen year old, he not only represented the state and won South Fremantle’s fairest and best award, he became the youngest ever winner of the Sandover Medal. South Australian legend Bob Quinn, after witnessing Todd’s debut at interstate level against South Australia, ventured the opinion that the youngster “was the most complete footballer for his age that he had seen"¹.

Todd sustained a serious knee injury against East Perth in round 7 1956. The road to recovery was long and hard, but after several aborted comeback attempts he finally returned to something approaching his best late in the 1958
Few players have exploded onto the football scene as sensationally as did John Todd in 1955 when, as a seventeen year old, he not only represented the state and won South Fremantle’s fairest and best award, he became the youngest ever winner of the Sandover Medal. South Australian legend Bob Quinn, after witnessing Todd’s debut at interstate level against South Australia, ventured the opinion that the youngster “was the most complete footballer for his age that he had seen"¹.

Todd sustained a serious knee injury against East Perth in round 7 1956. The road to recovery was long and hard, but after several aborted comeback attempts he finally returned to something approaching his best late in the 1958

Australian Football - John Todd - Player Bio

australianfootball.com australianfootball.com
Click to expand...

Come a long way! Got told when I did mine that they used to put ACL injuries in a cast like a broken leg. Now we realise that’s the worst possible thing you could do for it.
 
Daniltchenko Magic said:
There’s really not. Menzel and Johnson examples of chronic cases.

Looking through the rest of this thread, almost every other player has recovered without issue.

Broken legs, Achilles, stress fractures on the other hand…
Click to expand...
OP was asking for players who came back.I provided a few, there would be heaps of players who never came back from knees, top level, local level. Ron Andrews was never the same, Robert Hyde, Micheal McClean, Chris Judd, Chris Judd !! John Coleman. John Coleman !!
 
Michael Wilson won a NAB rising star, did his knee and shoulders twice, then came back to be a gun. Not sure if that is quite the level you mean though.
 

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