Port Adelaide’s Tom Rockliff reveals his shoulder pain and the surgery he hopes will help him regain his best form next season
TOM Rockliff’s second shoulder reconstruction has been more intensive than the first, with the high-profile Port Adelaide recruit facing a five-to-six month rehab.
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TOM Rockliff’s second shoulder reconstruction has been more intensive than the first, with the high-profile Port Adelaide recruit confident that it should hold together next season.
Former Brisbane captain Rockliff, who described his first season at Alberton as “up and down’’, has revealed he battled shoulder problems for most of the year before having surgery on Tuesday.
While never completely pain-free, Rockliff re-injured his reconstructed left shoulder against premier Richmond in round 12 and had it pop out of its socket completely in the after-the-siren loss to West Coast in round 21.
He played the following week against Collingwood but was ruled out for the year after struggling to complete the match.
“Hopefully we’ve nailed it this time,’’ Rockliff told The Advertiser of his latest surgery.
“The first surgery last year was keyhole but this time they’ve sliced me open and gone in to clean everything up — some things that didn’t show on the scans — and tightened it all so hopefully the shoulder doesn't slip anymore.
“There is no bulletproof scenario with situations like this but but we do feel like we've nailed it this time — the surgeon was really happy with the outcome — so hopefully there is no looking back.’’
Rockliff — one of the Power’s “Big Three’’ off-season recruits last year along with former Cat Steven Motlop and ex-Demon Jack Watts — endured a tough first season at Alberton because of his shoulder problems and a knee injury that delayed his start to the year.
The 28-year-old played 18 of a possible 22 games and averaged 20.6 disposals — well below his career average of 27 — four clearances and five tackles while kicking just seven goals.
Rockliff faces a long rehabilitation program.
He will have his left arm in a sling for the next six weeks and will not be able to resume full contact training for five-to-six months.
He hopes to be available for Port’s first pre-season game next year.
Rockliff said the shoulder “didn’t feel great throughout the year’’ and he re-injured it against the Tigers when he “dived for a ball and outstretched my left arm’’.
“So I was sort of battling with it in the back half of the year and then against West Coast it popped out,’’ he said.
But while Rockliff was clearly handicapped he stressed he wasn't making his excuses for his form.
“There’s no excuses, I didn’t have season I would liked to have had,’’ he said.
“Just like the club, I didn’t finish the year the way I wanted to. I started the season slowly and then coming back into the Showdown (44) I felt like I was really running on top of the ground and had a good patch of eight weeks or so.
“But then my form tapered off. It was a really disappointing end for me and the club because we set ourselves up really well at 11-4 and to win just one of our last seven games was very disappointing and something we don’t accept.
“We showed that our best footy is good enough to beat the best teams but we weren’t able to close out games in the back end of the season like we should be able to and the leaders have to take a lot of responsibility for that.’’
Rockliff — a member of the Power’s leadership group — said the players are “really hurting’’ but have the hunger and squad to bounce back hard next year.
andrew.capel@news.com.au