Nonetheless going through the process of effectively losing my position and my job at Hawthorn was something that I didn’t really enjoy even though I had confirmation that Hawthorn would be calling out my name again come the Rookie draft. The anxiety of waiting for my name to be called out wasn’t something that I had experienced since being initially drafted to the Hawks in late 2011, but the procedure of being delisted was all new to me. Even though I had an understanding of the predicament that I was faced with, being demoted (so to speak) - I couldn’t help but wonder/think where did all this time pass by.. It felt like only the other day that I had my name being called out as an 18 year old with very different emotions and feelings; come the Rookie Draft of 2015 when Hawthorn finally called my name out, it was definitely a sigh of relief; another chance.. Enough motivation for me to kick start another strong block of rehab. I felt like I still had some more to give to the club that was willing to stick by a young player that had suffered 3x Right Knee Reconstructions in his short career to date.
My third bout of rehab for the same injury was fairly new to me. Yes I had done this exact injury twice before to the same leg but the difference in graft, the timing of my injury and the plan in place to get me back out on the park was all different to me. Variety! It was key to any rehab stint as I felt repetitive and monotonous schedules were always the hardest part of long term injuries. There were of course times when things would need to be done over a certain amount of weeks in order to move onto the next stage - but variety was key. A way to stimulate the mind and keep challenging not only myself but those around me that were helping put me back together from a playing perspective.
Photo Credit: AFL.com
Alex still maintained his positive nature whilst being given another set back. There were some good laughs in the rehab group.
I spent a fair bit of time with my family throughout my third reconstruction - their unwavering support and willingness to put a smile on my face and make an effort for me is something that I’ll always be grateful for. Going through all these injuries definitely took a toll on them as well and I remember how hard the conversation was to have with them when I told them that I am having no hesitations in wanting to give it another go. One of the hardest parts of the initial couple of weeks that I was bedridden was the reliance that I had on them (and my friends) to help me with some of the basic necessities that I found I needed. Things such as taking my mind off football through conversing about other interests, providing me company whilst I wasn’t able to train, getting me ice so I could maintain getting the swelling down in my knee post surgery.. These things kept me sane and focused at the same time.
There was a moment during the pre season camp where I built up some courage to provide a presentation to the playing group and football department about how I was feeling about going through a reconstruction for the third time. It was nerve wracking but beneficial for me as it provided an insight to everyone about how they could help me get through my latest setback in particular when I was struggling to deal with things mentally. The main point to take out of it was the support I needed from them through something as simple as our conversations.. I didn’t want to be identified as a person who was injury riddled, as knee reconstruction very much took up a majority of my career to that point. I encouraged everyone to speak to me but about other things.. as I found that talking about anything other than the state of my knee actually helped put my mind at ease when it came to the reality of sitting on the sidelines once again for a long stint. I very much appreciated the attention everyone gave me as I spoke about this and it was a great stepping stone towards how I was treated for the rest of my rehab.
Photo Credit: Hawthorn FC
Pre season boxing session with Cyril Rioli.
I loved the opportunity to spend some real quality family time in February 2016 when I was allowed some leave from the club so that I could go to Hawaii with my father and sister. This was something that I was looking forward to so much in the build up towards getting away as I was able to complete a really solid month of training throughout the pre season camp where I was able to pick up my running and condition myself with some real intent as I was slowly building my fitness base once again. Pre Season Camp 2015/2016 was where I was given the all clear to pick up my running and with the hot condition, I felt that I had started to once again build a fitness base that felt familiar to me in my previous rehab stints. The point of feeling fit and wanting to step up sessions was always the milestone for me that meant rehab was starting to pay off in some respects. The ‘carrot’ for me was definitely the fact that I was heading away fairly soon after pre season camp; the perfect distraction of the reality of having at least another 5-6 months to go in rehab.. seeing Hawaii with my family on the horizon after a solid training block was perfect for me.
hawaiI holiday Slideshow:
After Hawaii - I felt rejuvenated and willing to put my head down for some more hard yards as my knee was feeling great and I was introduced into the next phase of rehab with some agility and jump/landing exercises (the phase before getting the boots back on for training). As the weeks passed by and I was able to tick each box along the way I started to develop some niggling injuries - a quad strain here and there, some calf/shin tightness, a sore heel and plantar fascia irritation.. all bi -products of the training regime that I had been completing as even though I was completing sessions in really good standards; my body was still compensating for the major injury that I had had again. Balancing low training loads and down weeks in terms of sessions helped settle things down as time continued to pass by and everyone else had well and truly started their seasons on the park.. I was keen to join them.. But only when I was ready.
Photo: Still smiling after his first game back even though everything wasn't ideal.
I made my third return to the footy field on 03/07/2016 in the Development League (VFL seconds) for the Box Hill Hawks. The plan was to roughly play 3 quarters as my first introduction back into playing competitive football again. I felt fantastic out there as my fitness level from all the rehab over the past 12 months as well as my eagerness to want to play well seemed to gel together as I was able to find a bit of the ball and get a few kicks in my return game. However it wasn’t all smooth sailing in my first game back as I went down in the second quarter as I felt a snap in my right foot.. my niggling plantar fascia injury had given way and was longer attached. The pain that I felt was unusual; it hurt a fair bit when it occurred but was soon met with numbness as the fluid from the torn muscle soothed the pain. I wasn’t able to complete the rest of the match and by half time I had ice on my foot and had gotten changed into my tracksuit. Not the ideal return success that I was hoping for. Scans on the Monday confirmed that I had torn the muscle straight through which was a relief in a sense that the Plantar Fascia isn’t an essential component to the foot and would preferably be better had it been torn straight through as I had done rather than partially still be attached which would’ve created more discomfort and I would’ve had to have played through pain with the aid of injections and pain killers. 2-4 weeks on the sidelines however was the downside to the injury - I made sure that I had my sight set on 2 weeks, I felt I had missed enough footy to be satisfied with sitting out for another month.
Photo Credit: Jenny Owens
Moments after rupturing his plantar Fascia in his right foot - Alex sat out the rest of his initial comeback game for Box Hill.
After missing a few more weeks (this time to a short term injury) I was optimistic in my second attempt to return to the field after my third reconstruction; I felt I had belonged on the field in my short time during my first attempted return - a good feeling of not having lost my ability to play the sport I had worked so hard for to become my career. My second game back was against the Richmond VFL side at Punt Road oval, the atmosphere was electric as this game was basically a curtain raiser for the AFL game that would be commencing on the MCG next to us. Again a plan was in place to play roughly 75% of the match over 4 quarters respecting the fact that my body didn’t necessarily cope whilst having a niggling injury - it was good to come into this game feeling really fresh after a couple weeks off to let me foot settle down. I felt at home in this return game.. I ran out of his towards the end of the game but I still felt like I could contribute to the team in a significant way. It was a nice feeling to be able to play well and kick a goal after being out for so long; in particular it was amazing for me to see my family and closest friends make the effort to come down and watch me play as well (I will always be appreciative of their support for me). We lost that day unfortunately - Richmond ended up coming home strong and beating us, a bit of a sour note as we did play well for a majority of the game but nonetheless this game would be a good platform for the performances that would follow as I wanted to build some form heading towards the end of the season.
THe R3turn Photo Gallery:
As I was able to compile a relatively good month of footy throughout August, things were finally starting to come together for me once again from a playing point of view. With good feedback from both players and coaches I felt like I was starting to get recognition for my output on field which was such a pleasing feeling after enduring another long set back the previous season. However, my luck would soon run out once again as I pulled up quite sore after a VFL game against Sandringham late in the season. The mechanism was one of which I had jarred my reconstructed knee whilst trying to avoid a tackle - the result being that the rest of my season was then placed on ice so that I could allow my knee to settle down and not be at risk for the rest of the year.
Ultimately that would be the last time I represented the brown and gold colours as once the season finished I was let go by the football club after my meeting with Alastair Clarkson and Jason Burt. To say that the meeting was on good terms would be an understatement as the mutual respect for one another was something that was very much evident and I understood their standpoint and view on letting me go. 5 years of being on a list with little over a season worth of playing football was enough merit to say that Hawthorn didn’t get a hell of a lot in return from a playing point of view. However, the addition I added to culture and comradery at the football club was something that I walked away being really proud of and something that I will never forget. By the end of the meeting, Clarko and I shook hands and wished each other well. Hawthorn had embraced me holistically as a person and as a player and in return I would always be eternally grateful for the opportunity they provided me.
It was time for my next chapter...
Instagram Appreciation Post:
Forever grateful to @hawthornfc for giving me the opportunity to live out my childhood dream over the past 5 years. I appreciate all the help and support from everyone who's been on this journey with me especially my family & friends. To my teammates, the coaching staff and in particular the conditioning/medical team, thank you. I was lucky enough to make some amazing memories & friends during my time at this great club. It's never easy saying goodbye to a place that has embraced me the way the brown/gold did but I am excited at what the future holds for me and I look forward to the next chapter in my life. ❤️- Woody