Lawson’s inspirational return after horror injury

After a layoff of more than 1000 days from a horror injury that nearly cost him a career, Tim Lawson is back from the brink

Then and now. Tim Lawson at home in bed with a broken foot more than 1000 days before he made his comeback to Coast football through Beerwah Glasshouse.

FOOTBALL: There were times in the past year where Tim Lawson would cry himself to sleep, unable to bear with the brutal reality of a horror injury that ultimately robbed him of his marriage and threatened to cost him a career.

It was in May 2017 and Lawson was playing for Kawana, when he was downed in a full blooded, lunging tackle.

It snapped his leg through the shin pad.

Lawson, a chippie, was off work for 10 months, forced to undergo years of rehabilitation and left Coast football circles for what he thought was for good.

He said the injury led to him losing his marriage which eventually sent him on a downward spiral.

 

Tim Lawson suffered a badly fractured leg as a result of a tackle-gone-wrong which put him out of action for years.

 

Earlier this year, and more than 1000 days since that injury, Lawson made his long awaited return to the football pitch and with it his love of the beautiful game was reignited.

He was coaxed out of medical retirement to join Beerwah Glasshouse through Daniel Carew.

"DK (Carew) just called me up out of the blue and asked me what I was doing, 'I said, probably cry myself to sleep'," Lawson recalled.

Less than an hour later, the pair were driving to Gympie for a pre-season friendly and the rest was history.

"Honestly DK (Carew) is one of a kind. He helped me through the toughest period of my life. The injury which catapulted me to losing my wife," Lawson said.

"My boss and my family have been massive support but DK's friendship is invaluable.

"Put it this way, I would have said no (to returning) to anyone else."

 

Beerwah Glasshouse striker Tim Lawson has returned to the game after a horrific injury layoff that threatened to cost him a career.

 

Beegees reserves lost that outing but the confidence Lawson gained in his own body was crucial.

Gone was the angst of going down and not being able to shrug off a challenge, replaced with his rediscovering his love of the game.

"That first game was the biggest hurdle. I was really anxious and almost pulled out in the warm up," he said.

"The first 10 minutes felt surreal. Then everything clicked.

"I had time on the ball. Took a few touches. Even pulled off a nutmeg or two.

"You couldn't wipe the smile off my face. I was doing what I loved again."

Carew remembers the exact moment he knew Lawson's love had returned.

"Basically he rolled the ball to me in the corner and I buggered it up and the ball went straight out. I must have looked like Bambi skating on ice. We looked at each other and burst out laughing, the crowd did too," Carew said.

 

An x-ray of Tim Lawson's fractured leg after the tackle.

 

"Literally that moment is when he knew that things will be OK. His smile was ear-to-ear. It was like a light had switched on.

"He remembered the happiness football can bring to his life. Just a small thing like that can do it, and it did."

With only a handful of games under his belt, Lawson was handed his league debut in the round 1 clash against Maroochydore with a goal of playing until the hour mark.

A full 90-minute performance later, Lawson was gassed, but his contribution to the 4-2 win was vital.

"He had nothing left with 15 to go, but he got there," Carew said.

"There is no doubt in his quality. He is a smart footballer, confident, and plays a role that allows him to influence the game.

"He has an aura about him and he is already driving the boys to be better.

"Without him, in years gone we would have bottled that game. It shows how far he has come already. It's great to see."

Lawson said the best is yet to come.

"I am quietly confident we can shake things up. We were firing at the start of the year and the best part is that we were nowhere near our best," Lawson said.

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