Geelong’s Daniel Menzel hopes to build up training after reaction to injection for groin injury
IT’S taking longer than Cat Daniel Menzel would like and he’s not certain of a return date. But the star goalkicker hopes to make some strides towards a return to the playing field this week.
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DANIEL Menzel will attempt to run this week as he battles to overcome a rare reaction to a groin injection.
Menzel had the needle after Round 5 in an attempt to ease groin soreness, but hasn’t been able to train — and even struggled to walk — in the weeks since.
The Cats reiterated Menzel’s recovery remained a slow process and that they were still waiting for his issues to settle. Coach Chris Scott has admitted he’s got no idea when his forward will be fit to return.
But Menzel, an AFL survivor of four knee reconstructions, said he would look to step up his recovery in the coming days.
“I’ll look to start running this week. I haven’t done a lot of that. It’s just been a pain thing that we’ve tried to manage and once that goes I hope the progression will be pretty quick,” Menzel said.
“The pain was pretty bad, but I’ve been through a bit in my career. It was nothing compared to what I’ve been through.”
Menzel had kicked 15 goals in his first five games, including two bags of four and a five-goal return against St Kilda. Talking to Footy Classified, he said he had been frustrated by yet another setback.
“It’s something that’s not that common. It was something we did to help my body and it just didn’t react how I would like ... hindsight is a wonderful thing,” he said.
“As long as the boys can keep winning and stay up there then I’ve just got to get my body right and hopefully I can get right for finals.”
Menzel denied there was any chance he could miss the rest of the season.
“I’d be pretty shocked and frustrated if it was. I’ll be right, but it’s just taking longer than we would have hoped,” he said.
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Originally published as Geelong’s Daniel Menzel hopes to build up training after reaction to injection for groin injury
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