Michael Rogneda’s details his comeback from ‘car crash’ knee injury

Plenty Valley captain-coach Michael Rogneda’s return to the field on Saturday was the latest step in a lengthy recovery and there’s one more box to tick.

Michael Rogneda in action for Plenty Valley. Picture: Andy Brownbill

Plenty Valley captain-coach Michael Rogneda has had to go to some extreme lengths just to get back on the park this season.

The Bats all-rounder ruptured the posterior cruciate ligament in his right knee in the final game of last season diving for his crease while batting.

His doctor described it as an injury typical in car crashes and while the ligament has since healed the cartilage damage continues to be a major source of pain.

The first-year skipper missed the Bats’ VSDCA Round 1 clash against Kew due to the injury and while he returned for the Round 2 win over Brunswick, hasn’t been able to bowl.

Rogneda revealed his knee joint is bone-on-bone and he had a Durolane injection – concentrated hyaluronic acid – earlier in the year to help improve joint function.

Michael Rogneda appeals for a wicket for Plenty Valley. Picture: Hamish Blair

“It helps older people avoid knee replacements, and in my case, it’s to get me back active and get my knee joint working again,” he said.

“I bowled in a practice match about 11 weeks after the injection – it takes about 12 weeks to work properly – and I thought it was OK but it wasn’t.”

Rogneda hopes to bowl limited overs on Saturday against Preston if he can get through training on Thursday and pulls up without soreness.

“I didn’t bowl (against Brunswick) but I dove around in the field and I pulled up fine,” he said.

“Fingers crossed I might be able to bowl at training and if I pull up OK I might bowl a reduced load on the weekend.

“It’s one thing to get your body right to bowl but it’s another thing to find your rhythm and line and length and be confident.”

Michael Rogneda in action for Plenty Valley. Picture: Hamish Blair

However, if he still can’t perform as desired, the former Northcote Premier Cricket paceman said there was a second treatment he could undergo.

“(Durolane) is the first step, it’s definitely worked but I’m not sure it’s worked to the level I need it to,” he said.

“There’s another step called N-Stride, where they basically take out your blood and reinject part of it to help regrow your cartilage.”

The N-Stride treatment “concentrates anti-inflammatory cytosines and anabolic growth factors” in the patients own blood and is then reinjected into the injured joint.

Rogneda is confident he will be able to play out the season but said his knee will need constant management.

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“It takes constant management, I’m at the gyms most mornings or go for a run around Epping Oval,” he said.

“Hopefully I can play out the year and bowl but it will be reduced loads at training and possibly during games.

“I normally like to bowl first change and get my eight overs out or bowl six or seven and keep a couple up my sleeve but now I’ll probably have to break it up into smaller spells.”

Northern Football League club Diamond Creek announced Rogneda as one of its 2021 re-signings but a return to footy is no certainty.