Murwillumbah coach Levi Hilton not ruling out second season with Warning as hip injury lingers

A NAGGING hip complaint could scupper Levi Hilton’s plans for an on-field return, with the Premier League veteran not ruling out a second season as Murwillumbah coach next year.

A NAGGING hip complaint could scupper Levi Hilton’s plans for an on-field return, with the Premier League veteran not ruling out a second season as Murwillumbah coach next year.

Originally slated to continue his playing career at Burleigh Heads this year, the 35-year-old was confined to the sideline after suffering an injury to his conjoint tendon in pre-season training with the Bulldogs.

The lingering problem eventually led Hilton (pictured) to take up a coaching role with Murwillumbah, who battled to an eighth-placed Premier League finish.

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Rumours had been circulating he was all but certain to return to playing duties next season, but the ongoing hip issue means it is no fait accompli.

“The whole plan was to go back into playing again next year but my injury is not much better than it was at the start of the year, so I’m just playing it by ear with my physio at the moment. I can run, I just can’t kick a ball.,” Hilton, who played at Palm Beach with brother Matt in 2017, said.

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Levi Hilton (right) in action for Merrimac in 2015. Picture: Richard Gosling

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“It doesn’t look like I’ll definitely be back for the start of the year so I’m sitting down with Murwillumbah (this) week and we’re just going to hash a few things out and see what they want to do.

“They’ve asked me to coach again but if I was coaching again next year I’d want to bring a few players in and speak to my brother. I want to wait until the season’s over before I go into any of that stuff.

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“If I was coaching next year it would be at Murwillumbah. I’ve got to stop running around from club to club, I want to settle down somewhere.

“Even if I don’t play next year, I’ve still got not thoughts of retiring. I’m still keen as, I still love training and all that.”

Hilton said his coaching debut had been “frustrating”, believing the Warning had underachieved.

“A few people expected us to be where we were in the end but within ourselves we thought we’d be a lot better off. We had a few things happen that didn’t help (but) no excuses, everyone has the same thing with injuries. It was a frustrating year,” he said.