Aussie batting talent Will Pucovski’s brave battle to overcome concussions and fulfil potential

WILL Pucovski refuses to give up on his career despite the 20-year-old suffering seven concussions with the country’s best batting prospect since Ricky Ponting determined to fulfil his potential.

Will Pucovski was rocked by a Sean Abbott bouncer earlier this year.

CAREER fears have never entered Will Pucovski’s mind, even as he battles the frustration of concussion effects which cost him too much cricket last summer.

Pucovski, 20, is a talent of super significance to Australian cricket having displayed his immense ability with a stunning Sheffield Shield knock of 188 at the MCG in February, in just his fourth game for Victoria.

But his fledgling career has been marred by seven concussions, beginning with a knock playing football as a teenager, and including three last summer.

During a Shield game in March at the Junction Oval he was struck on the helmet as he attempted to evade a short ball from NSW quick Sean Abbott.

Pucovski was laid-out by the blow and had to be helped from the field.

Will Pucovski was rocked by a Sean Abbott bouncer earlier this year.

It was a “not again” moment for everyone in Victorian cricket, plus the young star’s family. His father, Jan, a former fiery fast bowler himself, was in the stands watching.

The fallout included talk of not only Pucovski’s health, but also what could be done to ensure the wunderkind lives up to his potential, which plenty believe includes a career in the Australian top order.

Pucovski missed the Bushrangers final Shield game of the season despite recovering “quicker” than on previous occasions form the blow.

But post-season there was an trip to Sydney with mates and a month-long holiday in Europe and he revealed that career implications are the furthest thing from his mind.

“It is frustrating, but I am not worried about my career at all. That hasn’t even crossed my mind, and it hasn’t been mentioned to me,” he told the Sunday Herald Sun.

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“It’s more been people asking, speculatively. But I am not that worried. I don’t feel like I’ve lost any ability.

“People seem to think it is setting me back further than I see it. I don’t feel like it effects me. In terms of my ambition, I have never doubted that or questioned that. If anything it probably gives me more motivation for the journey.”

That journey, for the immediate future at least, could still be marred with interruptions because the headaches keep coming, and there can be a lot of time doing “not much”.

Pucovski said he hasn’t settled on a “good way” of dealing with the down time, when it’s needed, but some of it has been spent discussing with his parents, all the potential implications of what he has been through.

His mother, Julianne, is a psychology teacher, so has a more zoned in respect for issues to do with the brain.

Jan said while there will always remain unknowns with brain injuries, they have become as fully informed as possible, so nothing, no matter what happens form here, is too much of a shock.

Will Pucovski playing for the CXI against England.

“It’s given us all a bit of perspective, Will, myself and his mum,” said Pucovski’s father, Jan.

“It’s not that he has been hit in the head all those times, it’s just that he’s had so much bad luck. As a former cricketer I know that when you sign up as a batsman, you could get hit in the helmet. But Will’s story has a lot more layers, and a lot more complications because of his original footy injury.

“For him going out to bat these days, instead of me hoping he makes a few runs, now I hope he gets through unscathed.”

The Pucovski’s have also decided to “live in the now”, as, in part, a coping mechanism.

“A lot of players have injuries but when it comes to something which is so unknown, it can be scary,” Jan said.

“It’s less scary in that having been to a lot of specialists and having a lot of tests and having all the checks done, and they have looked after him really well, and the understanding that with helmets and so on, you always hope he is protected.

“And I have done the research on it and I’ve paid attention to specialists. But the unknown with head injuries is the greatest thing we live with day to day.

Will Pucovski at Junction Oval in St Kilda. Picture: Tony Gough

“We have always been reassured by all the people who have worked with him … that as long as you recover from the knocks, and he has never been knocked out in cricket, and he hasn’t had any cognitive or emotional processing issues with the knocks … so from that point of view we have discussed it with him about what actually goes on and, while it’s not likely to happen, if he does get another knock and it’s serious, it could be the end.”

But the Pucovski’s have taken a lot of confidence from the plight of Melbourne midfielder Angus Brayshaw, who has had significant battles with concussion himself, but is still playing.

“He’s in a game where he is even more susceptible to it, and he has come back through his battles and is still playing footy. That’s always reassuring,” Jan said.

As is Will’s attitude, which remains positive, almost permanently so. Along with that comes a desire to address what could be the root cause of at least his most recent problems, playing the short ball, with more likely to come his way.

Pucovski has returned to training at the new home of Victorian cricket at the Junction Oval ahead of his required start date for pre-season, because work, work and more work is the best way for him to stay on the front foot.

Will Pucovski celebrates notching a ton for Victoria.

“I’ve never felt like I’ve had an issue with it (the short ball) and I’m not scared. Even now getting hit doesn’t faze me. It’s annoying to miss cricket, but it doesn’t mean I am really nervous about playing the short ball,” Will said.

“I’ll work on a couple of methods, see what works, try to apply that in a game, and hope I get through the season without being hit, or at least not getting concussed.”

Jan expects his son could get hit again. He was a bowler, he knows how they think. But if Will’s track record, and his attitude, are any indication, this all might just be the making of him.

“He has come back bigger and better each time, with his confidence and his ability in tact,” he said.

“We are fairly philosophical about it too. The perspective is that Will understands this has helped his cricket over the last few years, he does understand it’s just a game.

“He’s fortunate to be in the position he is in and he just has to enjoy everything it has to offer.”

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