Tyson Goldsack looms as a potential saviour for Collingwood injury-riddled backline
COLLINGWOOD defender Tyson Goldsack has emerged as a potential saviour for the club’s decimated back line as his record recovery from a knee reconstruction gathers pace.
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COLLINGWOOD defender Tyson Goldsack has emerged as a potential saviour for the club’s decimated back line as his record recovery from a knee reconstruction gathers pace.
The club was dealt another devastating injury blow on Saturday when Matthew Scharenberg suffered a suspected third torn anterior cruciate ligament in the loss to Richmond.
The injury toll was further compounded in the VFL when clever goalkicker Jamie Elliott suffered another hamstring injury in Collingwood’s reserves.
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Key forward Brody Mihocek also had scans on his ankle and is in doubt for Saturday night’s clash against Sydney at the SCG.
Goldsack, 31, is 20 weeks into his recovery, and is aiming to complete the third-quickest AFL return from a knee reconstruction if he can return to the senior side next month.
Knee reconstructions typically take at least eight or nine months, but Goldsack will attempt to emulate the remarkable recovery of Melbourne Storm centre Sandor Earl, who returned to play in six months in May this year.
Goldsack wants to play his first game in the VFL in a fortnight if he can complete full training, and then progress in to the senior side in time for AFL finals to help replace Scharenberg and fellow injured defender Lynden Dunn.
The Herald Sun can reveal Goldsack spoke with Earl last week at Collingwood’s Olympic Park headquarters about the quicker than expected recovery.
He was invited by Collingwood’s leadership coach Nick Maxwell, who also does some work with the Storm.
The pair had the same quad graft to repair the torn ACL ligament.
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The quad graft is believed by some medicos to be stronger than using a part of the hamstring muscle.
Working closely with leading knee surgeon Julian Feller, Earl, 28, said there was some recent research which gave players more hope of returning to the playing field inside the popular nine-month benchmark.
“People typically look to get back to their best at training at the nine-month mark and then that’s their trigger to play,” Earl said.
“But for me it was about reaching that 90-95 per cent mark as early as possible and then put in as much quality time in unrestricted (training) as I could, and then play.
“Some would say that’s aggressive, but for me it was about understanding whether I could move on (to next stage of recovery) and there wasn’t that limitation or fear of this or that just because it didn’t fit in line with certain timelines. That’s where I feel the Storm differ (to other sports).
“In the environment we are in, having physio every day, treatment every day, someone taking you through training every day, there are more opportunities to be able to progress past positions that are tied to (the recoveries of the) general population.
“I literally got to a point where there wasn’t much more I could get out of training.
“What would have been holding me back was just purely the fear of some research which says the graft could be stronger for this and that.”
Earl said the psychological challenge of stepping back into competition was one of the biggest hurdles.
“It comes down to whether you have ticked everything off,” Earl said
“Have you got the stability and confidence, but if you are doubting playing, I don’t think you have any place on the field, yet.”
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Originally published as Tyson Goldsack looms as a potential saviour for Collingwood injury-riddled backline