AFL: Xavier Duursma won’t shy away from knockout moments
Xavier Duursma’s reputation for going back with the flight of the footy is gaining pace. And after being KO’d against Geelong and says he’d do it all again for a shot at a grand final next week.
Xavier Duursma didn’t leave his house for three days after being knocked out going back with the flight of the ball in Port Adelaide’s qualifying final win over Geelong but says he’d do it all again next week if it meant a spot in the grand final.
The 20-year-old doesn’t remember colliding with Cats ruckman Mark Blicavs in the third quarter on Thursday night or being in tears when doctors told him he couldn’t go back on at three-quarter-time.
The last thing he remembers before lying face down on the turf was his tackle on Jack Henry to win a free kick minutes earlier, which earnt him as many admirers as his subsequent act of courage.
Still nursing a sore chest and neck, Duursma returned to training at Alberton on Monday for light duties as he prepares for the Power’s preliminary final next Friday.
“The first time I left the house was to come to training (on Monday), on the weekend I just tried to rest and get myself back into some decent order,” he said.
“Bit of doctor’s orders, bit of my own, I didn’t want to move anyway because I was a bit sore and battling to move so I wanted to make sure I was looking after myself and not doing much.
“My head is fine but my chest and neck is just sore from the impact.
“Obviously there are things I’ve got to tick off first but I’m pretty confident I’m going to be right to play in the next game.
“It’s just a slow build-up for me and I should be up and about by the end of the week.”
As for his tears, he says they can only be explained by the disappointment he felt at the time and the impact of the concussion.
“The shock of it all and not being allowed to get back out there, it’s a final and I wanted to be out there and playing and giving everything I had for the team to make sure we won,” he said.
“When you’re told you can’t get back out there it’s pretty flattening, obviously I don’t remember too much of actually having the tears coming out but I think it was all part of the shock that comes straight after something like that I assume.
“I have read somewhere as well that when you do get concussion you start to get a bit more emotional as well so that might have something to do with it.
“It was good the boys got it done in the end and you want to look after your head for the long run so it’s the right call that any player who has a concussion doesn’t go back out there.”
Duursma hadn’t had a concussion since his junior years which is somewhat surprising given the way he goes back with the flight of the footy regularly at AFL level.
The lightly-built wingman did the same thing against the Western Bulldogs in Round 10 only this time he took a mark of the year contender and bounced up while Josh Bruce and Tom Jonas were flattened on the ground.
“I think it’s really important and shows you’re putting your heart on your sleeve every time you’re going out there, and you will put your body on the line,” Duursma said.
“I don’t go out there looking for it but if it is my turn to go then I’m not going to shirk the contest, I’ll give it everything I’ve got.”
In his first season of AFL footy last year he earnt the respect of his teammates with his two-way running, clocking the second most kilometres of any player in the competition with his preparedness to help out in defence as much as he enjoyed running forward to fire his bow and arrow.
“That was one of the things I wanted to bring to the team straight away and I was hoping to get a lot of respect from the defenders because it’s really important for our team,” Duursma said.
“We are a really strong defensive team but it only works if we are good two-way runners and are getting back hard and helping our defenders, which enables us to start our offence.”
But after hurting his hamstring in June, Port Adelaide’s running man admitted he lost confidence and it led to him being dropped in Round 13.
“I wasn’t playing to my own standards and coming back from injury I think I lost a lot of the confidence I usually played with,” he said.
“I had to try to get better and I think I did that, I got dropped, played a practice match against Hawthorn and got myself back into the team and feel I’ve played some good footy since then.
“While my numbers haven’t been massive I think my impact has been good and I’ve played some good games so two more would be lovely.”
Duursma’s first AFL final against Geelong last week followed a successful junior career when he won three consecutive premierships with Corner Inlet and played finals footy with Foster.
“I do always like playing finals, it’s my favourite time of year and I always feel like even if we don’t win I’m always giving pretty much the best that I’ve got,” he said.
The only thing missing this time is his family who are unable to escape the Victorian border due to the Covid crisis.
“It’s unfortunate that they can’t get here but that’s just how it is this year, I’m looking forward to getting home and seeing them when the season does finish but we have a job to do first.”
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