AFL Port Adelaide news 2021: Tom Rockliff’s season derailed by life-threatening condition
Tom Rockliff has had a horror run with injuries. But this time there was much more at stake than missing a few footy games.
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Tom Rockliff had a bad feeling.
He was in a hospital lift with former teammate Justin Westhoff, his knees had been giving him grief and his left calf was so swollen he knew he had to get it checked.
But Rockliff’s concerns were seriously misplaced.
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Unbeknown to the nuggety Port Adelaide midfielder he had developed a life-threatening condition — blood clots on the lungs.
Instead, he was more worried about the lift.
“The day we went in we couldn’t get a scan because the hospitals were overrun in their emergency departments, so we had to go back to where I had surgery (at Sportsmed clinic),” Rockliff explained.
“Westy took me there, he sort of said, ‘you are not going to die on my watch’ — it was quite humorous.
“So then we got to the hospital (Sportsmed clinic) and we had to go to level one, I said, ‘knowing my luck today Westie this lift will break down and we will get stuck in here’.
“We literally stepped off the lift and 10 seconds later the power went out which was a little bit comical.
“So I had the nurse checking my calf with the light on my phone because they had the generator on, but they didn’t have full power.
“So we were 10 or 15 seconds away from being stuck in the lift for 20 minutes.
“It was just one of those days.”
While Rockliff can now see the funny side of his situation. the scans revealed that he had Deep Vein Thrombosis — with some small blood clots on his lung and a 10cm one in his calf.
“I spoke to Sharna (his wife) and she said all the wills are in place so she was happy, (Port footy boss) Chris Davies said to call 911 so he wasn’t too concerned about me,” Rockliff said.
“But there was a little fear — when it became a little bit more serious — when they said there were a couple of small clots on the lung.
“That’s where it became a bit serious and a little bit scary for me.
“But we were in hospital pretty quick after that and they took care of it and everyone was calm around me, the doctors and nurses.
“Sportsmed did an outstanding job and to be serious family, friends and the footy club were really calming on me.”
A LUCKLESS COUPLE OF DAYS
Blood clots were the latest setback in a luckless run for the 31-year-old star.
The former Brisbane captain had only tasted senior action once this season, in Round 1.
He then copped a head knock in the SANFL and was ruled out for 12 days under the AFL’s new concussion protocols.
When he looked set to return to Port’s senior side, amassing 34 disposals against Woodville-West Torrens in early May, he went down in a marking contest.
Initially the worry was around his left knee, with scans revealing he had a medial ligament sprain and he would miss at least six weeks.
But then his right knee became painful and swollen in the following days and further scans showed he had also injured that knee.
Rockliff underwent meniscus surgery, which kickstarted a series of events that would have worrying implications for his health.
“I think they (blood clots) are more common in more serious surgeries, the longer knee surgeries where you can’t move,” he said.
“So for me I think it originated because I had both knees out of action, I couldn’t really do much.
“I would sort of go to bed, get up, lay on the couch, spend the day on the couch and go to bed.
“It was just a combination and the timing of things, hindsight is a wonderful thing and if I had my time again I would have gotten an injection around that to make sure that the blood didn’t thicken up and clot and would have done compression on both sides.”
It was while having a shower on Monday that Sharna noticed his left leg was swollen. He mentioned it at the football club the following day when he was whisked off for scans by Westhoff.
“I didn’t have really that much pain or anything, I just had a bit of swelling in my ankle and calf and the doctor looked at it and said there potentially could be (some blood clotting), but he wasn’t too concerned about it,” Rockliff said.
“He thought it was fine but he said, ‘just to be safe let’s get it scanned to make sure there is no clots or anything’ and then, obviously, once we got it scanned and it revealed that there was a decent sized clot in my calf all the events spiralled pretty quickly.”
‘I DEFINITELY THINK I CAN PLAY AGAIN THIS YEAR‘
Even though Rockliff was working his way back into Port Adelaide’s side, it is hard to deny that coach Ken Hinkley has not missed his presence.
He doesn’t have blistering pace and struggles to play anywhere outside the midfield,
but he is one of the best in the business when it comes to finding the footy.
North Melbourne premiership David King noted on Friday — after Port’s loss to Melbourne — that the Power lacked midfield depth.
He said Hinkley needed another player — not named Ollie Wines or Travis Boak — who could perform against the big teams.
When Port Adelaide led the home and away season for its entirety in 2020, it was the No.1 team in clearance differential at plus 4.8.
Rockliff was the club’s third-best clearance beast with 4.1 a game.
This year the Power has dropped back to the pack, losing all four clashes against top four teams.
The race is on for Rockliff to make it back. Both knees are fine but he has been on blood-thinning medication that prevent him from taking part in contact training.
“I definitely think I’ll play again this year,” he said.
“What level that is at, I’ll come back and play for the Magpies and if my form warrants senior selection, I’ll hope that I can play at senior level and be there and ready if called upon hopefully in a finals campaign or the back-end of the year.
“If we can get off the blood thinners in the next two to five weeks, it gives myself an opportunity. There are still plenty of games left in the season.
“So I feel like I still have footy in me this year and then we will assess at the end of the season what this looks like moving forward but I feel like I’ll definitely play footy again this year.”
Rockliff has made sure he can still contribute to Power’s season as an assistant coach.
“Chris Davies and Ken were pretty keen to expose me to a little bit of coaching to see if that was a path that I would like to go down post footy,” he said.
“I feel really blessed to have been given that opportunity to be able to do that and have a look at that.
“You almost get a free hit of it at three or four months and I’m not doing what the other coaches are doing in terms of coding, I’m sort of sitting in on their meetings and helping out, throwing a few different ideas at them.
“It gives me an understanding of what coaching is and what the lifestyle is like. You definitely work a lot more hours as a coach.
“I think for me to stay involved in footy that is definitely an option, I still enjoy the media side of things and what I do.
“I feel really lucky that I’ve had the opportunity to do both this year while I haven’t been able to play and do my No. 1 role (playing).”
WHY ROCKY FEELS LIKE HE’S ONE OF THE LUCKY ONES
Lucky or blessed are two words that come up multiple times when talking to Rockliff.
It’s ironic considering his injury-plagued year.
But he has a second son on the way to join three-year-old Jack, and is grateful for having played more than 200 games at both Brisbane and Port Adelaide.
“When you put it all into perspective the short term and the period I’ve been through it hasn’t been great. It has felt like you have done something wrong,” he said.
“But in saying that there are guys who do their ACLs and miss 12 months and they are in a worst scenario than I am.
“It is clearly not ideal, I feel fine now, I feel like I can go out and play but being on blood thinners prevents that from happening.
“But in the grand scheme of things I feel like one of the lucky ones.
“I’ve played for two great clubs. Loved every minute of my journey at Port Adelaide and off the field everything is going well.
“I have another son due in 13/14 weeks. Jack is healthy, Sharna is healthy so I can’t really look down and be bitter or upset with the situation or the scenario I’m in.”
But what about coming out of contract this year?
“I think when you are out of contract you have to go out there and perform,” he said.
“Particularly at my age so it is a bit up in the air at the moment as to what is best for the footy club, what is best for me and we haven’t really delved too much into that.
“So I think we will just leave it be at the moment and when the time is right we will have a conversation around that.
“But the main focus is just getting back and playing and if my form or whatever warrants it my management and the club can talk about it.”
Run home: How Power can make top four
Port Adelaide probably needs to win at least five of its remaining six games to secure a double chance after its home loss to Melbourne on Thursday night.
The 31-point defeat hurts the Power’s prospects of finishing in the top four and things will likely become even harder by Sunday.
If Brisbane, which plays St Kilda at Metricon Stadium, and Geelong (Carlton at the MCG) both triumph as expected on Saturday, Ken Hinkley’s side will be a victory off the pace.
Thursday night’s setback means the Power now needs to rely on other results to make the top four.
Champion Data rated Port Adelaide’s draw as the ninth-easiest in the league before Round 16, while it ranked the Lions’ schedule the best and Cats as the third-easiest.
The Power, which has a 1-5 record against top-eight teams this year, faces two on the run home: GWS in Canberra in Round 20 and the Western Bulldogs at Marvel Stadium in its last match before finals.
By contrast, the Lions will battle just one side in the eight – West Coast at the Gabba in Round 23 – as well as reigning premier Richmond at the MCG.
Geelong faces two top-eight clubs, both at home at GMHBA Stadium – GWS in Round 21 and Melbourne to close the campaign – along with taking on the Tigers at the MCG.
Port Adelaide would be expected to beat Collingwood, Adelaide and Carlton at home, but next week’s game against the Saints could be tricky.
The Power will struggle to topple the Bulldogs on form and the Giants clash will be a battle, particularly at Manuka Oval.
Sixth-placed Sydney (10-4) will also come into calculations if it beats the Bulldogs this weekend.
The return of key players from injury will also have a bearing on where the Power finishes.
Wingman Xavier Duursma will push his case for an AFL call-up when he makes his comeback in the SANFL on Saturday – his first game since hyperextending his right knee in Round 4.
Young gun Zak Butters might not be available until the last two minor rounds after injuring his right knee in his return match against the Demons and being ruled out for a month.
Goalsneak Orazio Fantasia was listed as three to four games away, but was a week-to-week proposition, according to Hinkley on Wednesday.
Star veteran Robbie Gray is expected to be back in five to six weeks, putting him on track for Round 23, while there is no timeline for midfielder Tom Rockliff’s return from deep-vein thrombosis.
Luckless Port gun’s latest cruel stint on sidelines revealed
Port Adelaide young gun Zak Butters is expected to miss about a month of football after injuring his knee in Thursday night’s 31-point home loss to Melbourne.
Scans on Friday confirmed the 20-year-old, who was playing his first AFL game since Round 4, had sprained his right medial ligament.
Butters landed awkwardly after taking an intercept mark at half-forward 15 minutes into the third term and was subbed out of the game at three-quarter time.
The midfielder/forward had been sidelined for three months — first with an ankle syndesmosis injury sustained against Richmond on April 9, then due to surgery for a nerve issue around his left knee — before returning to face the Demons.
He made his comeback via the SANFL last weekend, kicking two goals and gathering 21 disposals in the Magpies’ win over Central District.
Butters registered 10 possessions, three tackles and two clearances against Melbourne.
Defender Ryan Burton was expected to be available to face St Kilda next weekend despite coming off in the last quarter on Thursday night with a groin problem.
He had precautionary scans on Friday.
The impact of Butters injury on Power
Port Adelaide is again sweating on scans to young gun Zak Butters after a knee injury in his comeback game on Thursday night.
The 20-year-old, who was sidelined for three months with an ankle syndesmosis injury then had surgery in May for a nerve issue around his left knee, was substituted from Thursday night’s blockbuster against Melbourne at three-quarter time with what the club suspected was a sprain of his right medial collateral ligament.
Butters landed awkwardly at half-forward after taking an intercept mark midway through the third quarter and soon hobbled to the bench for treatment.
As Power doctor Mark Fisher assessed his right knee, medical substitute Marty Frederick began warming up.
Butters then jogged with his knee taped and tried changing direction several times along the boundary, but he did not look right.
At three-quarter time, Butters did not go to the huddle, instead sitting on the bench wearing a jacket while injured Power veteran Tom Rockliff put his arm around him.
Port Adelaide confirmed his substitution from play – and Frederick’s introduction – during that break.
Power coach Ken Hinkley said the club would not make any decision on Butters until it learnt more about his injury.
Hinkley said Butters was unlucky to get hurt in his first AFL game back.
“Sometimes when you have a bad run ... it goes against you,” he said.
“You get back, you’re excited about getting back and then all of a sudden, first game back, something else happens.”
Hinkley said on Wednesday that he was surprised at how quickly Butters had returned from surgery and he was a week ahead of expectation.
The club had listed the midfielder/forward as TBC until he made his return last Saturday via the SANFL.
Butters kicked two goals and collected 21 disposals in the Magpies’ win over Central District.
Thursday night was the 12th time the Power had activated their substitute from its 16 games this season.
Butters came into the team for Kane Farrell, who ruptured his anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee against Hawthorn last weekend.
If Butters is sidelined again, it will leave the Power low on small forwards, given Robbie Gray (knee) and Orazio Fantasia (knee) are also injured.
Port Adelaide defender Ryan Burton finished the game on the bench, coming off in the fourth term with a groin problem.
“I don’t know that it’ll be too much to worry about,” Hinkley said.
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