Nakia Cockatoo on track to debut for Brisbane Lions in Round 1
Look away Cats fans. Nakia Cockatoo is yet to miss a pre-season session with Brisbane since last year’s trade and is expected to be in the frame for his first AFL game in 1077 days in Round 1. This is how the Lions are managing his training load.
Geelong
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Former Geelong livewire Nakia Cockatoo is on track to play his first AFL game in three years as he enjoys an uninterrupted pre-season with new club Brisbane.
The Lions expect the dynamic midfielder to be available for Round 1 — if he remains injury-free — against Sydney on March 20, in what would be his first game in 1077 days.
Brisbane football manager Danny Daly said Cockatoo, who last played an AFL game in Round 3, 2018, was yet to miss a session and had completed two shortened intraclub games.
Daly said there was “no reason why he shouldn’t be an enormous part of our team and hopefully our success this year”.
“If he keeps motoring along the way he is and his body keeps fresh and recovers well, there’s no reason why he shouldn’t be right for Round 1,” Daly said.
“If he’s right for Round 1, he’ll be well and truly in the mix. I think we all know, and you guys down in Geelong know better than anyone, that he’s got some serious football ability and some serious football talent.
“(If) his body can stand up, which it is so far, there’s no reason why he shouldn’t be an enormous part of our team and hopefully our success this year.”
Cockatoo played just 34 games with Geelong in six seasons and is hoping last year’s trade to Brisbane can reignite his career, as it did with former teammate Lincoln McCarthy.
McCarthy played 29 games in seven years at GMHBA Stadium but has missed only two matches with the Lions (one through suspension) in two seasons.
Four-time Hawthorn premiership defender Grant Birchall is another whose career has been prolonged by Brisbane’s medical staff.
Recruit Joe Daniher also said last year its track record of getting injury-riddled players consistently on the field was a key factor in his move to Queensland.
Daly said it had tapped into Cockatoo’s raw ability by managing his training loads.
He said the former Cats fan favourite would not participate in all drills, such as skills sessions, to take some time off his legs.
“Although they’re important for our playing group, where he is in his preparation, he probably doesn’t need to do those at the minute, and just making sure he’s in the drills where he’s connecting with our playing group all the time,” he said.
“We pull him in and out of drills and we don’t overwork him. It’s important that even though he is going well, we don’t make him do everything, otherwise he could potentially break down.
“We’re just really smart about the way we train him and make sure he’s doing all the drills that he needs to in terms of harnessing his talent and being around the rest of our playing group.
“Whenever we’ve got drills that involve a game plan or connection inside forward 50, he’s been part of all those but there are some drills we pull him out … just so we’re not overworking him, given the amount of work he hasn’t been able to do in the past.”
Brisbane will meet Gold Coast as part of the revised pre-season fixture.
Daly said “all things being equal Nakia will play in that game”.
Originally published as Nakia Cockatoo on track to debut for Brisbane Lions in Round 1
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