AFL 2022: All the latest pre-season news at your club

Dockers skipper Nat Fyfe is back running again ready to put a ‘tumultuous’ off-season behind him as he races to be ready for round one.

Tom Stewart of the Cats. Picture: Michael Klein

Dual Brownlow medallist Nat Fyfe is backing himself to be ready for Fremantle’s season opener against Adelaide as his recovery continues from a shoulder reconstruction.

Fyfe underwent a shoulder reconstruction in July after multiple in-season dislocations but went under the knife again in October after his recovery “plateaued” and scans revealed a bone crack.

Sport’s greatest rivalry is here and you can catch the Ashes live and ad-break free during play. New to Kayo? Start your free trial today >

A bacterial infection was also discovered in the second operation, meaning the Dockers’ captain required a dose of antibiotics.

But an optimistic Fyfe said at Fremantle’s Festive Long Lunch that he was on track to play against the Crows at Adelaide Oval on March 20.

“I’ve had a bit of a tumultuous off-season but now I’ve done five running sessions since coming back and I’m getting my strength back into (the shoulder),” Fyfe said.

Nat Fyfe believes his recovery from a second bout of shoulder surgery is tracking ahead of schedule. Picture: Getty Images

“On Tuesday, it will be seven weeks since the operation. By about 12 to 13 weeks, I’ll be back to full training and by mid-February, I’ll be in full contact and ready for Round 1.”

Fyfe said his rehabilitation was ahead of schedule but added a disclaimer to that belief.

“Yes, but I’ve normally felt bulletproof after surgeries — with a recurrence, it’s been quite humbling and a day-by-day process,” he said.

“At this stage, everything is exactly where it’s supposed to be.”

The 30-year-old has played 15 or fewer games in four of the past six seasons and will be keen for a better injury run next year as the Dockers prepare for a realistic finals assault.

Another key Cat suffers pre-season setback

Geelong has revealed star midfielder Sam Menegola’s pre-season will be delayed as a result of surgery he had on his meniscus in October.

Menegola will remain in his home city of Perth to continue his rehab and will rejoin the Cats in January.

General manager of football Simon Lloyd said that Menegola, along with club doctors, was “pleased with the outcome post-surgery.”

“Sam is totally professional in all aspects of his football, and he will tackle the rehabilitation process with gusto,” he said.

Menegola is expected to make a full recovery, with Geelong giving no indication that he would miss the start of the home-and-away season.

“Sam has started his rehab in Perth and will return to Geelong in the new year,” Lloyd said.

The 29-year-old, who will be entering his seventh season with the Cats, has been a consistent fixture in the senior side for the past two years, missing only three games out of a possible 47 across that time span.

The West Australian product missed two games early last season due to an unrelated shoulder injury, but has otherwise been a stalwart through the midfield and further up the ground, playing in Geelong’s final 22 matches last season.

Menegola is one of three Cats to undergo surgery this off-season, with Brandan Parfitt (hamstring) and Mark O’Connor (knee) also currently on the sidelines.

The timeline highlighted by the club indicates that Menegola will be among the playing group well before Geelong’s season kicks off against Essendon on Saturday, March 19 at the MCG.

Sam Menegola and Joel Selwood.

CATS STAR’S UNLIKELY INSPIRATION FOR REHAB

Lachie Young, Marc McGowan

Geelong defender Tom Stewart has revealed he turned to a physiotherapist at The Australian Ballet in his bid to return to full fitness from the Lisfranc injury that prematurely ended his 2021 season.

Stewart, who claimed the Carji Greeves medal as the Cats’ best-and-fairest this year, said Dr Sue Mayes, who has been the principal physio at The Australian Ballet since 1997, had been an “unbelievable” help as he worked his way back to a point where he felt comfortable enough to return to pre-season training this week.

Mayes has previously consulted at AFL level and with Cricket Australia and Tennis Australia, as well as with professional sports clubs around the world, and Stewart said Zoom meetings and other consultations with her had gone an enormous way to having him ready to go again.

“I was really fortunate with some of the specialists I saw,” Stewart said.

Tom Stewart is on the comeback trail from injury. Picture: Michael Klein

“I got hooked up with a lady by the name of Sue Mayes, who is a ballet physio and worked at North Melbourne for a lot of years, with this particular injury and foot injuries.

“So I really liaised well with her and she has given me massive confidence throughout the rehab process when I checked in with her, so she has been unbelievable for me.

“We have also had new staff come into our medical department who have been fantastic for me, and they have given me great confidence moving forward that I have done everything right.”

Stewart conceded there was a sense of anxiety around his foot but said he had pulled up sore from only one of about 50 sessions he had done across a ten-week program.

He was back at Deakin Oval on Monday as part of Geelong’s first full group pre-season training session, ticking off another personal milestone.

“I was straight in Monday and did the whole session, which was really, really pleasing,” he said.

“Obviously, with the nature of the injury I will have to pretty honest if I am getting sore and stiff, but I am 100 per cent at the moment.

Tom Stewart is working his way back to full fitness. Picture: Glenn Ferguson

“We had our first time trial on Monday which was pretty solid, and then about an hour of footy, which was really pleasing for me to tick that landmark off in terms of my rehab.

“But the young boys have been out on the track a fair bit and they have led the charge with those extra sessions, and I have been back here for three or four days a week so it (first day of pre-season) didn’t feel like anything too new for me.”

Meanwhile, hardluck Roo Aiden Bonar will miss up to three months of full pre-season training after aggravating an old wrist injury last week.

North Melbourne’s medical team assessed Bonar’s injury at the weekend and decided surgery was the best option for a full recovery.

Kangaroos general manager of football performance Daniel McPherson said the 22-year-old defender would still be able to maintain his fitness base while he recovered.

“Aiden came back to the club in great nick after the break, so it’s disappointing for him,” McPherson said.

Aiden Bonar has suffered another injury setback. Picture: Michael Klein

“He suffered a slight injury to the wrist in Round 5 this year, but it wasn’t enough to sideline him at the time.

“He was fine heading into pre-season and had been training without any issues until an innocuous incident in a drill last week caused the old injury to resurface.

“He’ll have the surgery next Monday and will be back into his running program shortly after that.”

Bonar was enjoying his best start to an AFL season before an ankle injury sidelined him for three months, including being in the top three of the club’s best-and-fairest count through six rounds.

He returned to play the final three matches of the year and has played 22 in total since being the No. 11 pick in the 2017 AFL draft.

Bonar overcame two knee reconstructions as a teenager to still be a highly rated AFL prospect.