Premier Cricket: Footscray’s Lucas Dredge discusses back injury, Keilor role
After three standout summers in Premier Cricket, Footscray premiership player and fast bowler Lucas Dredge reveals the serious injury that left him unable to move, the task ahead to recover and his next move off the ground.
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Lucas Dredge was a notable absentee from Footscray’s line-up for most of last season.
The fast bowler was restricted to four First XI and five Second XI appearances, taking the field for the last time in 2019-20 on December 7.
“I ended up having a few niggles last year and missed some cricket in November because I injured one of the ligaments in my foot,” Dredge said.
“Then in my rehab, something went wrong and I hurt my back, and it just got worse and worse.
“I tried to manage that without going through surgery, but at the end of the day I had to get a part of disc clipped out that was perforated and going into the nerve. Now I’ve got a bit of a long stint in rehab.”
After going under the knife in April, Dredge faces a lengthy road to recovery and is uncertain if he will be sending down rockets in coming years.
He had produced three outstanding Premier Cricket campaigns in a row before his injury troubles, returning 31 wickets at 25.35 apiece in 2016-17, 25 at 21.96 in 2017-18 and 29 at 20.52 in 2018-19.
He played the role of the enforcer, and played it effectively.
But Dredge’s misfortune has forced him to consider life after cricket.
His playing days are far from done, but there are greater priorities, such as maintaining a quality of life.
“When it first happened, I spent two weeks flat on my back when it hit that tipping point,” Dredge said of his back complaint.
“I had telehealth conferences with doctors lying on my back, I was sleeping on the floor for a couple of weeks and had to get the surgery done because I couldn’t move.
“If I’m lucky enough to have a full recovery and the body’s up to playing some cricket, then there might be some actual games of cricket in the future.
“To what capacity, I don’t know … but now I’m just doing my best to stay fit.”
Dredge is unable to lift objects more than 5kg until January and will be sidelined for next summer.
He will remain on Footscray’s committee and has agreed to lend a hand at Victorian Turf Cricket Association club Keilor during his rehabilitation phase, working with the club’s bowlers.
New Blues coach and former Dogs assistant Duncan Harrison secured the coup.
“He was looking for some coaching for his bowlers, and I’d worked with Duncan before when he was Western Spirit regional manager and looked after the pathway kids.” Dredge said.
“He was nice enough to give me a call and put an idea on the table where I’d come and work with their quicks in particular.
“While I’m injured, I can dip my toe into coaching and see how I go.”
It is a major boost for a Keilor outfit keen to rebound after it was relegated from Senior Division – the VTCA’s top flight – last season.
“They’ve got some good young kids down there to go with some of the more seasoned cricketers,” Dredge said.
“They’re pretty excited about some of the younger prospects in their twos. I’m looking forward to going down there and seeing how they go.
“They’re doing the right things and getting someone like Duncan, who has cut his teeth on junior development and pathways and he also had a lot of success at Melton, he’s just great with developing these younger players.”
Dredge was a member of Footscray’s 2013-14 premiership team – the second in the club’s history – describing the achievement as “an honour”.
He said he had enjoyed “a bloody good journey so far”.
But a cloud remains over his future in Victoria’s pre-eminent cricket competition after a decorated career which has taken in 130 games and 162 wickets.
“Playing ones might be behind me. It depends where I’m at once I’m up and running,” Dredge said.
“It’s not going to be a fitness issue. It really comes down to what the risk is and am I going to get re-injured.
“If I’m able to play, I’ll look at what role I can play, whether that’s at Footscray or Keilor.
“That’s on the backburner at the moment – it’s very much day to day.”
But regardless of the outcome, Dredge will not be lost to cricket, pointing to his interest in junior development and taking on committee tasks.
Ex-Footscray coach Steve Chapman said in 2017 he had no doubt Dredge would “be a future president of the club”.
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