Try, Tyrone Vickery again

[Toadvine]

Try, Tyrone Vickery again

• • JOHN Vickery could see the tears welling in his son's eyes.
  It was June 2007 and AFL hopeful Tyrone Vickery was playing footy for Haileybury College when his right knee collapsed under a tackle.
  With the biggest year of his footballing life around the corner, the promising ruckman had ruptured his anterior cruciate ligament.
  At 17 he was about to live every footballer's nightmare. And his father, standing on the fence that day at Xavier College, knew it.
  "As soon as he went down I knew that he'd done a serious injury because he normally gets straight back up and on with the game," Vickery Sr said.
  "He loves his football. To do his knee like that, being tackled from behind and rolled by two guys . . . he knew what he'd done and it was hard for him."
  Vickery was shattered. A knee reconstruction and at least 10 months on the sidelines was suddenly thrust upon him.
  It threatened to derail everything the AIS AFL Academy graduate had worked for before his final TAC Cup season with Sandringham.
  There was the Vic Metro squad, recruiters -- an AFL future was on the line.
  But instead of a career meltdown, what followed was a long and gruelling training program held together by the tightest of father-son bonds.
  John Vickery played four games for Collingwood between 1971-72. In a lucky case of right place, right time, he is the boxing, weights and rehabilitation coach at Richmond.
  Past Tiger knee victims Will Thursfield, Darren Gaspar, David Rodan, Ben Holland and Mark Coughlan have come under his supervision and he knew all too well what his son was facing.
  But before the physical repairs started, the psychological wounds had to be healed. Vickery Sr turned to Tiger champion Matthew Richardson.
  "He struggled with it for a few days and I knew he was sort of depressed, so I mentioned it to Richo, who said, 'Give me his number. I'll ring him up'," Vickery Sr said.
  "Richo told him, 'Listen mate, I did my knee but I came back and played the next year and I got All-Australian'."
  It was the spark the 200cm, 91kg teenager needed.
  "I was pretty deflated, obviously having it taken away, and he gave me a ring afterwards and really picked me up," Vickery recalled.
  "He was able to come back exceptionally well and he just gave me a few pointers and told me to keep my head up. It gives you a real lift, things like that."
  Vickery trained five days a week, three hours a day under the watchful eye of his father.
  In a freak coincidence, close mate Tom Lynch had also done his knee and the pair, with a couple of other friends, embarked on the long road to recovery together.
  Weights, boxing, cycling and eventually running were all part of the program. At one stage the boys were doing 20 repetition 220m sprints on a sun-baked Punt Rd Oval.
  "I knew it wasn't the end of the world. With the right amount of work - and I was able to give him the right amount of work - he could come back," Vickery Sr said.
  "Being here (Richmond) made it so much easier and he was able to come in three times a week and spend the other two at a gym.
  "He used to catch the bus. Sometimes I'd pick him up or his friends would drop him off.
  "It was him having the confidence in his leg to know that everything was going to be fine. With the kids, they're very apprehensive about it, (thinking) 'Will I do it again? Is it OK?' ".
  By September last year, and with the knee starting to show all the right signs, Vickery Sr planned a father-son trip to Cambodia.
  On one of the days he hired a tour guide and two bicycles for a leisurely expedition, only for the temperature to soar beyond 35C and the humidity to go through the roof.
  To top it off, the local guide turned the 28km round trip into a seven-hour survival of the fittest.
  "I thought it would be good for Tyrone's recovery," Vickery Sr said.
  The pair watched Geelong destroy Port Adelaide in the Grand Final and Vickery got a Chinese tattoo on his arm that translates as "Live Free".
  For four months he convinced his mum, Helen, it was a fake. "She found out it was real last Christmas and cried," Vickery said.
  Vickery said he hadn't felt truly comfortable on the knee until midway through this year and the crucial under-18 championships.
  But after a string of outstanding performances in the second half of the season, including several for Vic Metro, he has rocketed up the draft pecking order.
  Vickery was named in the All-Australian team and finished the carnival with a three-goal, 12-hitout grand final game against Western Australia, a performance highlighted by several telling marks.
  "We hoped to peak around June or July because I knew his touch would be off," Vickery Sr said.
  "Being six months out of the game and coming back to play in 10 months and really starting to hit form before the 12-month mark was really good.
  "That's football and coming back from injuries is what it's all about. He's done well and he's dedicated."
  So immediate has the return to form been, many believe Vickery is certain top-10 selection on Saturday and may go as high as pick No. 4 (Port Adelaide) or No. 5 (Essendon).
  "The knee injury gave me an opportunity to work on some real weaknesses," Vickery said.
  "I was able to put on a lot of weight over summer and it gave me some time away from the game. I was able to work hard and I'm maintaining it now."
  And throughout, Vickery and his father have been like best mates.
  "We're very close, especially through this," Vickery said.
  "I couldn't have . . . I was extremely lucky to have him in this position."
  Vickery finishes his Year 12 exams at Haileybury on Friday.
  He wants to pursue a career in environmental science, but admitted it was almost impossible at the moment to concentrate on anything but his uncertain football future.
  "You try not to think about it, especially with exams and other things on," Vickery said.
  "Every day you end up thinking about in some capacity. You just want it (draft) to come and end the uncertainty over where you're going to go. It's a big thing."

http://www.news.com.au/heraldsun/sport/afl/story/0,26576,24694170-19742,00.html

To come back and play such a good brand of Footy must have been such a challenge.
I wont be dissapointed If we get him, There is a chance he could fall to us. He would fill a massive need at the club and obviously has the drive and ability to become an outstanding player.
Do you Agree?

 

[tugga]

Can't see him slipping to No 8, but I hope he does.

 

[tigers_of_old_08]

He has certainly appears to display the right attitude and the determiantion required to enter AFL level, however as Tugga's already said will he slip through to us? (and providing the club has earmarked him of course)

 

[sportz1]

Can't see him slipping to No 8, but I hope he does.

I can i rekon you will have crack at him

I think it will go like this .

watts, Nat ,Rich, (will not slide) ,Hartlett,Hurley ,yarren,ziebell,vickery .hill ,sidebottom.

 

[The Cotch]

Gun player, great attitude. We really can't lose on Saturday. Vickery or Hartlett will do just fine

 

[UpTheGuts]

Is he really a top ruckman or forward though? Not really top in either discipline is he?

Am leaning towards a desire to jag Hartlett, or Ziebell and if not then Vickery or if not then swift.

Second round pick will be the big deal as I can't see us being too disappointed with what we get at 8

 

[The Cotch]

Is he really a top ruckman or forward though? Not really top in either discipline is he?

Am leaning towards a desire to jag Hartlett, or Ziebell and if not then Vickery or if not then swift.

Second round pick will be the big deal as I can't see us being too disappointed with what we get at 8

Hes a genuine ruckmen.

 

[tugga]

I can i rekon you will have crack at him

I think it will go like this .

watts, Nat ,Rich, (will not slide) ,Hartlett,Hurley ,yarren,ziebell,vickery .hill ,sidebottom.

Top 10 looks very strong. Throw in Cordy at No 14 and it looks like being a decent draft.

 

[Goldust]

Vickery for me too, please!

If not, Hartlett!

Fair chance neither will be around though!

 

[The Cotch]

Vickery for me too, please!

If not, Hartlett!

Fair chance neither will be around though!

I'd say a VERY good chance one of them will be there.

 

[tugga]

Vickery for me too, please!

If not, Hartlett!

Fair chance neither will be around though!

In order: Vickery, Hartlett, Ziebell.
I've heard some very positive things about McKernan in my travels, too. I have a hunch about him.

 

[tugga]

Port Power recruiting manager has spoken. May as well close the thread

 

[Crumden]

But before the physical repairs started, the psychological wounds had to be healed. Vickery Sr turned to Tiger champion Matthew Richardson.

Richo the phsychologist. LMAO. Is there anything the great man cannot do. When Richo retires, we should give the captain the number 12 jumper. The greatest captain we never had.

 

[one eyedtiger]

I want Vickery at Punt-rd. Lets hope he does slip down to us. He also said he feels he resembles Troy Simmonds, Adam Pattison and Richo.

http://www.afl.com.au/News/NEWSARTICLE/tabid/208/Default.aspx?newsId=69477

 

[Toadvine]

Good to see he supports Richmond. That's always a plus

 

[Foleys Footy]

Richo..geez, theres no words that can describe my love for the man

 

[UpTheGuts]

Good to see he supports Richmond. That's always a plus

Unless your initials are Alex Gilmour

 

[The Dice Man]

Im sold!

 

[ize_]

I want him so bad.

 

[peggles]

while i still want hartlett, i wouldn't be disappointed if we get vickery after reading those articles, one of the 2 if not both will be available at our pick

 

[coke_zero]

i would not mind if we picked yarren. not many of you would want him but i think he could add something to our our forwardline.
but unlikly as we dont need a small forward and one of ziebell/hartlett/vickery will most likly will still be at our pick.

 

[cormick]

Unless your initials are Alex Gilmour

...Wouldn't that be the name?
"Unless your name's Alex Gilmour"
or
"Unless your initials are AG".

Gees...

 

[Tiger67]

Vickery for me too, please!

If not, Hartlett!

Fair chance neither will be around though!

I would have Tengrove and Hartlett on a par for second choice if Vickery is gone.

 

[coke_zero]

...Wouldn't that be the name?
"Unless your name's Alex Gilmour"
or
"Unless your initials are AG".

Gees...

its a footy site what can you do.

 

[Glitch]

i would not mind if we picked yarren. not many of you would want him but i think he could add something to our our forwardline.
but unlikly as we dont need a small forward and one of ziebell/hartlett/vickery will most likly will still be at our pick.

Great news we got vicks. We could have hardly gone wrong with yarran or hartlett tho.