The injured star who missed Cutters’ biggest day

Lost in the Cutters’ 2013 triumph was the sudden end to one outside back’s playing days.

Michael Comerford scores a try during the 2011 Queensland Cup season.

MICHAEL Comerford’s playing career ended as the Mackay Cutters’ premiership window opened.

It was a cruel twist of footy fate that would have left many with regret. But not the Souths junior.

Despite playing a big part in the Cutters’ Queensland Cup campaigns since 2008, Comerford was happy to take a back seat as the club’s famous premiership-winning season unfolded.

Comerford scored a try in his final game for the Cutters – a 34-18 win over Redcliffe at Dolphin Oval in Round 5, 2013.

The centre left the field jubilant, unaware he would never pull on the jersey again.

“Looking back it does seem strange. When you’re playing you don’t have any concept of what’s going to happen after that,” Comerford said.

“At no stage did I think that would be the last time I would get to play for the club.”

Comerford previously tore his ACL in Round 2 of 2012. He had done all the necessary rehab to get himself fit for the 2013 season.

But “deep down” he knew his knee had not fully ­recovered.

“I think I was being a bit naive,” he said.

“I told myself if I just kept playing it would be fine.

“Knowing what I know now I definitely would have pulled up a bit earlier and tried to get it fixed. But at the time I’d already done 12 months of rehab and was determined to get back on the field – I didn’t want to give that up.”

Between rounds five and six, doctors told Comerford he should pull the pin on his career. The risk of permanent damage was too great.

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Mackay Cutters 2013 players Luke Young, Liam Taylor, Dean Webster and Michael Comerford hanging out at home. Photo Tony Martin

“So I called it quits,” he said.

“That was the second time I’d (injured the ACL) in 12 months.”

Remarkably, Comerford quickly came to terms with the decision. He said making the call early in the rehabilitation process made watching his teammates go on to achieve the ultimate success months later much easier.

“I think it helped, knowing there was no chance of me being involved,” he said.

“I probably didn’t say it to anyone, or didn’t necessarily want to think about it too much but deep down, I knew my knee wasn’t 100 per cent.

“In a strange way, I was pretty comfortable with that part-way through the season.”

The 2013 season afforded Comerford more footy lessons than just about any other. Chief among them was to play without regrets.

Now as coach of the Cutters’ U20s side, he imparts some of those lessons on to the next generation of hopeful Cup superstars.

“We’re mindful now of how much young players train; how many games they play. But when you look back, you realise there will come a day where there’s not going to be any more footy,” Comerford said.

“I hold the view, within reason, that you should play as much football as you can ­because you don’t know when that last game will be.”

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