By Jon Pierik
A former AFL club doctor insists local physicians are world class when it comes to dealing with hamstring injuries but the decades-long success of a German "celebrity sports doctor" treating Collingwood forward Jordan De Goey meant he was a trusted voice.
Dr Adam Castricum, a former Hawthorn club doctor in two premierships and a sport and exercise physician with peak body Australiasian College of Sport and Exercise Physicians, said local doctors were world leading and had tremendous success when dealing with serious – and a recurrence of – hamstring issues.
Jordan De Goey has battled hamstring issues throughout 2019.Credit: Getty Images
De Goey has flown to Germany to see Bayern Munich's world-renowned hamstring specialist Dr Hans-Wilhelm Muller-Wohlfahrt, having re-injured his hamstring in Friday night's qualifying final against Geelong.
The dynamic forward had just returned from a seven-week hamstring absence, and is desperate to return in September, particularly if the Magpies win through to the grand final.
Muller-Wohlfahrt, 77, has treated some of the world's most famous athletes, including Michael Jordan, Kobe Bryant, Usain Bolt, Diego Maradona and Boris Becker.
He helped sprint superstar Bolt return in time for the Rio Olympics – and claim gold.
He has also worked with several AFL players, including Geelong premiership player Max Rooke, Collingwood's Ben Reid, Darcy Moore and Jamie Elliott, former Fremantle player Harley Bennell and Richmond's Dylan Grimes.
Hans-Wilhelm Mueller-Wohlfahrt (right) with German national soccer coach Joachim Low at Euro 2016.Credit: Getty Images
Castricum said Muller-Wohlfahrt – known as "Healing Hans" and regarded as a celebrity sports doctor – had the benefit of working in his field for decades, and perhaps boasted a "placebo effect" because of his reputation. But, ultimately, it was his impressive history which attracted athletes.
"It's more because of his track record, I guess. We are very much realists here as to what we can do. We give people really good advice and try and reduce the risk of recurrence and do those things. We would like to be able to do that, we pride ourselves on doing the right things and also sticking to the evidence base," Castricum said.
"The best research that has come out of here [Australia], particularly with these tendon injuries, have come from practitioners here in Melbourne and Sydney who look after AFL [players] ... these subsequent injuries with tendon injuries can be more severe and, certainly, have a higher risk of recurrence."
Muller-Wohlfahrt has something of a reputation as an eccentric but his methods have been successful. A 2011 report by ESPN said his expansive clinic on the second floor of the Alte Hof in Munich – a 12th century Gothic structure that served as the first imperial residence of Germany – had all the trappings of a "fine art gallery".
The report said while the controversial Muller-Wohlfahrt was conventionally trained in medicine and orthopedics, he embraced a unique mixture of "homeopathic medicine – treatment with natural substances – and acupuncture".
"The lifeblood of his treatments is what Muller-Wohlfahrt calls 'infiltrations', in which homeopathic preparations and other substances are injected into the injury site: exotic stuff like Actovegin, an amino acid preparation derived from calves' blood, and lubricating substances containing purified hyaluronic acid and antioxidants," the ESPN report said.
Painkillers in a honey solution is another treatment.
Rooke was sent to Germany in July 2007 and had an extract of calves' blood injected into his problem hamstring. He returned to the field in time to play in the club's breakthrough premiership.
Football manager Neil Balme, who has signed off on visits by Rooke and Grimes, said Muller-Wohlfahrt had a role to play for problematic issues.
"When the guys have the chronic hamstring stuff, it's just worth having another look at it. When it's a normal hamstring, we are probably as competent as anyone else to treat it," he said.
"It was the [Geelong] docs' opinion, rather than any information I had, they thought it was worthwhile. It was a bit over-the-top treatment from memory ... but I don't remember any of detail other than paying the bill."
Castricum said he did not know what treatment De Goey would have but it could be "hands-on therapy, injection-type therapy" but "it's certainly all above board, don't worry about that".
"I don't know what is actually injected, not sure at all. It's all within the WADA guidelines, that's fine. I don't think there is any concern there," he said.
Castricum, who was involved in helping former Hawthorn's Cyril Rioli overcome his hamstring issues, said he could not say if De Goey would have success.
"It depends on the nature of the player. De Goey is an explosive player," he said.
"I think when we say with hamstring injuries – 'they generally miss three weeks' – I think that is a massive generalisation because it depends if there is a tendon injury that is involved.
"Not all hamstring injuries are the same. We need to treat them a bit differently, depending on what is there.
"I am sure the Collingwood doctors know exactly what they are doing, the same with the physios."