NRL hopeful says career ended by ACL operation in France
A former NRL prospect is suing the French surgeon who rebuilt his knee claiming his dreams of playing first grade footy were dashed weeks after he was given the all-clear to return to the field.
NSW
Don't miss out on the headlines from NSW. Followed categories will be added to My News.
A former NRL hopeful has told a court how his dream of playing first grade football was cut short by an alleged botched operation in a European clinic.
The former footballer is now suing the French surgeon who rebuilt his knee.
Lucas Anthony Miller, now 31, was signed to Melbourne Storm in 2008 and 2009 while battling a left knee injury and reconstruction.
The second rower played reserve grade and took to the field for the Storm in trial matches but never played in the NRL, the NSW Supreme Court heard on Monday.
"It was a very hard NRL top 17 (team) to make but I comfortably made top 25," Miller said on the first day of his five day hearing.
"I was a young up and coming footballer content to continue my career under the best system."
But Miller's first years with the club coincided with the infamous salary cap breach investigation.
The Storm were stripped of premierships and accolades in 2010, the year he left the club for Newcastle's reserve grade.
MORE NEWS
2GB boss loses $800k-a-year job in Nine shake-up
Secret meeting to bring Val Holmes back to NRL
MONSTR founder and bikie dead after escaping jail
But he moved on again in 2010 and was playing football in France until December - when he injured his right anterior cruciate ligament - ACL.
It was just weeks later that Miller went under the knife at orthopaedic surgeon David Jones' clinic in Toulouse.
Miller described to the court of gruelling rehabilitation routines he endured in the following days and weeks.
"Within 3 days we were doing leg presses," Miller said.
"It was like your job, they wanted you to walk out the way you walked in. I felt it was very excessive."
The young player returned to Dr Jones for a follow-up in July 2011 and alleges he was told his knee had recovered and he was fit to return to professional rugby league.
Miller says he dropped about 32 kilograms from his 115kg playing weight as a result of bad hospital food and returned to Australia - eager to return to training.
It was during a "standard" training drill just weeks later, Miller told the court on Monday, that he felt a "click" in his right knee.
"The click and the pain in the knee caused me to fall to the ground," he said.
Miller spent the next few weeks going between specialists where he was told he had a tear of his right medial meniscus and further operations were necessary.
He alleges the injury was the result of negligence by Dr Jones.
To this day, Miller says, he can't drive long distances, walk or sit too much without experiencing swelling and pain.
Ultimately, he says, it ended his NRL career before it began.
Dr Jones' barrister, Anthony Bartley SC, disputed Miller's future in the game was as bright as he made out.
"Jeff Lima, you're not to his standard are you?" Mr Bartley asked.
"I back my ability I think if given an opportunity I would have (been)," Miller responded.
"Nathan Ross was a cut above you though?" Mr Bartley asked again.
"He definitely wasn't," Miller said.
Mr Bartley accused Miller of being "misleading" in some of his earlier statements where he allegedly implied he left Melbourne because of the salary cap. Rather, Mr Bartley added, it was due to his earlier knee injury.
"Melbourne understood the significance of the injury and (the salary cap scandal) was an easy way for me to be moved on," he said.
"When I wasn't wanted I looked for other opportunities because I knew my knee was 100 per cent."
The case continues.