Port Adelaide veteran Brad Ebert says his 2019 concussion felt at times like ‘solid hangover’ but he’s feeling fine and primed for 2020
Brad Ebert is feeling good and primed for a big 2020 after overcoming concussion and knee issues. The concussion lingered unlike any he’d had but time off provided some silver lining.
AFL
Don't miss out on the headlines from AFL. Followed categories will be added to My News.
- Story behind how Jonas became Port’s sole captain
- Laid-back Ladhams trying to shake casual tag, lead ruck
- An AFL helmet might do more harm than good
- How to get the most out of your Advertiser digital subscription
Brad Ebert says his battle with concussion last season felt at times like waking up with a “solid hangover”.
Ebert, 29, is feeling physically and mentally really good right now, as he undertakes full-contact drills in his 13th pre-season and ninth at Port Adelaide, on the Power’s training camp in Maroochydore, Queensland.
Stream over 50 sports Live & On-Demand with KAYO SPORTS on your TV, computer, mobile or tablet. Just $25/month, no lock-in contract. Get your 14-day free trial and start streaming instantly >
But earlier this year he did not play for six weeks after copping a knee to the back of the head in a marking contest against Collingwood on May 3.
The effects of the knock lingered unlike any of Ebert’s previous concussions and one night at a club function, the noise got to him.
It prompted him to get checked out by specialists and he was a “little bit nervous” before they reassured him he would “come back and be OK again”.
“It just knocked me properly, so you’d sometimes wake up feeling like you had a solid hangover, that headachy feeling, really foggy and wasn’t really feeling myself,” Ebert told The Advertiser.
“Some days I’d wake up feeling like I was ready to go, then other days you’d feel a bit groggy and a bit off.
“I went to see a neuropsychologist and neurologist and had a scan done … just to make sure we were dotting the Is and crossing the Ts.
“They said ‘you’re OK, pretty good’, but they didn’t feel like it was 100 per cent, so they recommended I took X amount of time off.
“(They also said) it wasn’t something where if I get another knock it gets worse.
“By the time I was back playing, I felt 100 per cent.
“I’ve handled (pre-season contact) well and I feel fine.”
The concussion and then a posterior cruciate ligament injury contributed to Ebert, who had only missed one game in his seven other years at Port, featuring in just 11 matches in 2019.
He “found the silver lining” during his time off.
Ebert realised how lucky he had been with injury, got to spend more time with wife, Bec, and sons Leo, 2, and Henry, nine months, started an MBA and continued to be hands-on with his and Tom Jonas’s company, Hey Diddle Wines.
The former West Coast Eagle is even more refreshed after going on family holidays to the UK, Thailand and Perth in the off-season.
After missing the first four days of Port’s pre-season camp to host and MC his sister’s wedding at his Willunga property, Ebert is ready to attack 2020 – an important year for Port.
He knows more than most Power teammates about the significance of the club’s 150th anniversary, given his family history – his dad, Craig, is a past Port player, uncle Russell is legend at Alberton and grandfather is Magarey medallist Trevor Obst.
And Ebert is keen to play his role in it from round one, most likely playing in attack again.
“I’m pretty entrenched in it all (Port’s history) and I think the way the club are attacking it is awesome,” he said.
Ebert said the club had the tools to become a premiership contender, it just needed to make small tweaks and have its best players available at the right time.