Photo: 10 minutes post first training session of pre season, 2013.
Before I knew it my off season break had finished - an enjoyable time away in Hong Kong with some of my teammates. I returned to pre season amongst the first to fourth year players really eager to pick up where I left off in rehab, in good shape both physically and mentally. Unfortunately it took only 10 minutes for me to hobble off the Moorabbin turf (we trained at Linton Street Oval for one session as Waverly Park was under going maintenance) in our first pre season training session. The medical staff and coaches had their hearts in their mouths but I actually walked off with a smile on my face – I’d rolled my ankle and was pretty happy that this time it was only a short term injury rather than the long term, surgery requiring setbacks that had been holding me back previously. I only missed the next two sessions and I was back in the thick of it, smile still on my face, ready to go.
The pre season leading into the 2014 season was definitely an experience in itself with the Hawthorn Football Club deciding to take things overseas and venture out to South Africa for our pre season training camp. Another fantastic opportunity to go somewhere I had never been before and experience being in a different country with different cultures and ways of life with the main priority being working hard as a playing group over a two week period and really challenging ourselves both physically and mentally as the new terrain/environment of South Africa really brought to the forefront new and interesting ways to train efficiently and effectively as altitude and heat both played a factor in what was a gruelling few weeks away from our home base of Waverly Park back in Melbourne.
Photo: Alex completing some resistance exercises (therabands) during pre season, 2013.
Photo Credit: Hawthorn FC
As pre season camp came around, my knee physically was in great shape - there were only a couple of 'boxes' left that needed to be ticked off before I could participate in higher intensity drills and start to build towards match play. Excitement and eagerness was reigned in as I remained focused (with the help of of rehab partners and Phil Merriman, the rehab facilitator) I knew that even though the twelve month recovery mark was close, there was no room for complacency or need to really test the boundaries as pre season camp itself was a period that needed to be completed unscathed with quality procession as it would definitely contribute to getting my body ready for the rigours of the next step up in training. I remember clearly one session where I was running alongside Ryan Schoenmakers and Matt Suckling during a rehab session. The session specifics; 3 blocks of 6x200 metre sprints. It was still early in terms of our arrival into South Africa (maybe the second day we were there) what stuck out most from that session, other than the fact that we had already done a block of work prior to these sprints, was the exhaustion after we had completed the runs. I wasn't sure if it was the altitude or the possibility that I could very well have been over running in terms of technique and energy use during the sprints - but the feeling of pure exhaustion from that session gave me a pretty good insight into knowing that this pre season camp was going to be grind but definitely a step closer towards being able to play properly again. By the end of the camp I was able to start incorporating contact into the training drills I was allowed to participate in and again get closer towards the intensity required to play football. Little things like being able to tackle and absorbing tackles had been so foreign to me for a prolonged amount of time - so to be able part take in those activities definitely helped with my confidence in regards to how I was feeling about playing again and trusting that the body of work I had put in during rehab was going to withstand the season approaching. My mindset about my knee was definitely in a good place at this stage.
Photo: Alex and Brendan Whitecross go hiking whilst in South Africa, views were amazing as was the overall experience. Both players were recovering from ACL tears at the time.
Photo: Shark Cage diving, South Africa.
As our two week training camp challenged everyone amongst the playing group - it was also pleasing to experience some of the great features that South Africa had to offer. Being able to go Shark diving and witness great white sharks come within metres of the cage I was enclosed in was such a surreal feeling. Going on a Safari through a South African Wild Life Conservation/National Park and being able to see first hand some of the world's most admired animals was amazing! Never would I have thought to get so close and seeing Elephants, Giraffes and Lions in their natural habitats with our only real protection being that of a vehicle we were in. Being able to see the prison cell that Nelson Mandela was held in whilst he was in prosecution was definitely a great insight into the culture both past and present in South Africa. Our Final experience ended up being quite a testing task as our last training session for the camp ended with the whole playing group and football staff taking part in hiking up Table Mountain (South Africa's highest mountain) what was potentially an enjoyable scenic walk became an almighty challenge as the training session prior to the hike definitely took its toll on everyone and the mountain really did seem never ending (well to me at least). Either going one of two ways, some of the guys took on the challenge and tried to complete the hike at a good pace and get it over and done with as others took their time a little more and felt no need to race up the mountain. Competitiveness fuelled my eagerness to get this hike over and done with as my body was in all sorts of hurt much like a lot of my teammates but the overall view at the top was unbelievable and well worth the effort to climb up. Putting things into perspective I still am very grateful for the pre season camp I was able to part take in South Africa - never would I have thought I would be getting opportunities to explore the world whilst doing a job I absolutely loved and adored even though for that time being in my career it wasn't quite working out just yet on the injury front... but I wasn't far away from representing the Hawthorn Football club in some capacity on field again. Come post Christmas Break... I was allowed to finally join in on the club's first intra club practise match, a milestone that I couldn't wait to be apart of and get past. I made sure I had dotted the I's and crossed the T's not once but 2-3 times to make sure I was ready, I deserved to be back out on the park... I believed that and so did a lot of others around me.
Photo: Shaun Burgoyne (left) and Kyle Cheney (right) respectively enjoying the South African Safari. Kyle getting up close and personal with the wildlife.
Finally! I part took in the intra club match – the same type of session that led to me hurting my knee almost this exact time the year before. There were a few restrictions with time allowance I had on ground but other than that it was very much free for all - I didn't want it any other way. I’d done all the work so there was no reason to hold back and that was important for me, not only to gain confidence once again but to be able enjoy the game again as well without any fears or hesitations towards my knee. I felt like I was a kid again finally being able to have a kick with my mates. It’s fair to say, I was gassed pretty quickly, you can never really emulate the intensity of a football match because there are so many variables. I might've been the fittest I've ever been but that doesn't take into account the physicality of getting tackled and the repeat efforts of getting back off the ground followed by a sprint or a wrestle or a jump; perhaps I had forgotten the rigours of the football conditioning but I still remembered the enjoyment factor and that was what I most appreciated about being able to take part in the intra club match. I probably wasn't that most efficient player out there disposal wise (to be honest I probably looked like a player that was new to the game) but I didn't expect a whole lot from my first outing, no pressure at all. Walking off the ground, I gave the physios and the rehab team a nod of approval and a tip of the hat, a few high-fives to let them know it had been a success. Another step closer towards the 'proper' return.
Photo: Rehab did give Alex a chance to focus and work on other skills whilst not being able play - such as kicking on his left foot, 2014. Photo Credit: Jenny Owens
Throughout my second stint in rehab I felt I’d learnt a lot about restraining my eagerness. Initially, I had this feeling that I needed to make up for lost time, catch up to the rest of the group and start playing again ASAP but this time I was calmer, more controlled, trusted the process and plan set out from the start of pre season that would ready me to play again. I suppose I was maturing as I was getting older but I felt I was more understanding and knew my role in getting back out on the field. There were staff dedicated to giving me the best opportunity to return to playing again. I wasn't alone in this, patience was needed and hopefully it would pay off.
One of the main things that I needed to achieve when I returned to playing footy once again was the ability to build continuity in games and sessions which was something that had escaped me the past two years. The aim was to play the entire season and that was going to be challenging as my body was adjusting to playing footy consistently once again. To get through pre season was fantastic but I wanted to get through games on a consistent basis - that was the focus from the outset as the season was arriving.
Photo: Alex and Matt. Shared a special bond as they travelled overseas (Europe) in 2013 whilst recovering from their knee injuries.
In February 2014, I was surprisingly named to play the first NAB Challenge match against Brisbane at Etihad Stadium. Luke Beveridge was coaching the side that night and both Matt Suckling and I were picked in what was to be my first game in two years. You couldn’t wipe the smile from my face - ear to ear. I wasn’t expecting to feature in the pre season format at all let alone play the first game. Admittedly I was hopefully but realistically I didn't think I had a hope of getting picked. Finding out in the team meeting was such a feeling of enjoyment and satisfaction not only for myself but also for Matt you had also come back from his knee reconstruction and was ready to play after grinding out a year in rehab with me.
Photo: Alex in action in NAB1 vs. Brisbane Lions, Feb 2014. Photo Credit: AFL.com
I remember sleeping well the night before the match but you could bet I was up early the next day, which was probably counterproductive given it was a night game, but I was so excited game day had arrived. I was nervous before the bounce but I always accepted the fact that nervousness was an acceptable emotion - one that I always thought was a display of showing that you cared about was was going to happen. I started on the bench initially but soon found myself on the ground - few cheers and claps as I entered the game was very humbling as I felt some of the Hawthorn Fans were happy to see me out on the field for the first time. I was able to get a bit of the ball early, which was positive but my ball use wasn’t great by my own admission – it wasn’t so much my decision making as it was my execution. Most likely a by-product of being nervous and wanting to get rid of the ball quickly, composure was something I lacked at this stage of my return, I knew I could have played better and to be honest I was a bit disappointed with my first outing but my family, friends, teammates and coaches were able to put things into perspective for me and were all happy I was out there again and ultimately so was I - it was good to be back playing the game I love.
Photo: Sam Mitchell giving some words of advise before Alex's first game back.
Photo Credit: Zimbio
There was a fair few rotations throughout the pre season competition so I spent the next week at Box Hill to play a practice game against Werribee who were affiliated with North Melbourne - a demotion that I wasn't upset about at all and completely understood whether that be for a reason of rotation in the side or for the reason of me finding my feet and gaining some confidence playing football again. That day at Arden street - gaining confidence again was something I was able to do as I played four consistent quarters and gathered a lot of the ball. My disposal still was an area of improvement but I was happy to I was growing my ability to find the ball again - something that I was able to do on a consistent basis whilst playing Under18s with the Sandringham Dragons. That's exactly how I approached this game...'just like dragons days' tough and hard both at the ball and ball carrier making the game simple again especially early on was important for me to build some confidence.
Photo: Box Hill vs. Werribee practise match at Arden Street, Feb 2014.
Photo Credit: Getty Images
Photo: First game in VFL competition for Box Hill vs. Williamstown, March 2014.
Photo Credit: The Age
It was amazing how fast the start of the season came around...First game of the VFL season was against Williamstown. Unfortunately I wasn't able to gain a spot in the AFL side for their first game..'not yet' I would tell myself - always still having the goal (regardless of my injury history) of wanting to play AFL footy something that had been so close yet so far from me for the past couple season. My first game against Williamstown was definitely an eye opener as I managed to get my hands on the ball a little bit but my quality of disposal and even my running patterns (GPS wise) showed I was expending energy where I didn't need to meaning I fatigued quite heavily. 'Junk running' was the term used to described how and where I was running throughout the game as I spoke to head of fitness/conditioning, Andrew Russell, about how I could better myself and conserve a bit more energy so when I did have the ball in my hands I could make the most of it. Understandable for a guy that hadn't played football for a while to need a little bit more time find his feet however I was fairly optimistic heading into this game thinking I could run out the match - adjustments to playing football once again was still in full effect. I remember cramping really heavily in the last quarter, which was a good insight into how my body was handling everything at the time. It was all still such a shock to the system I think given where I was coming from.
Photo: Continuity at training was still an important aspect towards Alex building up his performances on the weekends and dealing with the rigours of playing again.
I felt everything was steadily building as the sessions went on I felt I was starting to handle the workload better. However come the second week at VFL level I hurt my AC joint against Werribee at Box Hill as I collided with another player whilst I was gathering the football off the ground. It was definitely a new pain to me and luckily it wasn't anything too serious but it did make me miss the next few weeks. While there was a feeling of relief when I hurt my ankle at the start of the pre season, this injury was just frustrating. I was focusing on continuity with training and game time, I felt this interrupted everything. But I did learn to protect myself better in traffic instead of going like a bull at a gate when the ball was in the vicinity – at times I was stupid about the way I hunted the ball. I learnt to be smarter with my movements for both protection but for also wanting to improve as a player as well. Being aware of my surroundings in congestion is something I needed to get better at so that I could utilise my disposals better when the opportunity arose and put my teammates in time and space when I fed the ball out to them.
Despite that hiccup (a few weeks on the sidelines) everything was tracking well following the first VFL bye. I was putting everything I learnt in the two years out of the game into action. The one thing that I was grateful for whilst being injured was the fact that I was able to be a student of the game and still learn my craft under some of Hawthorn's all time greats. As the season progressed, I started having more of an impact on games and started to gain some respect (from a playing perspective) amongst the VFL competition which was a great feeling - to be able to start playing some genuinely good consistent football and to be able to enjoy myself on the field again was something I had been longing for. Early on, my family were more nervous than me, which is understandable. But as the season went on, they started to trust my body and were coming to games free from anxiousness. It took a lot out of them seeing me injured for two years. My family and friends are my support team and they went through the highs and lows alongside me. Things were finally looking up.
Photo: Alex kicks a goal against Port Melbourne at Box Hill City oval. Confidence and consistent performances were starting to build during the first half of season 2014.
As both AFL and VFL sides had strong starts to the 2014 season it made the overall environment at both football clubs a really enjoyable place. The chemistry was evident throughout the players and coaches. It was good to actually be apart of that on field rather than being stuck rehabilitating and not performing. To be able to show my friends, family, teammates, coaches and fans a glimpse of my ability and why Hawthorn drafted me was exciting.The first half of the season, I started getting exposure to being an AFL emergency - it was a great experience I found as it showed I was on the cusp and was able to train and at times travel with the AFL side which was something that had escaped me the previous two season. Each time I was an emergency, I actually had to play VFL that weekend as I wasn't called up on any occasions, which was another challenge especially when it came to interstate trips as my routine prior to games had to be quite flexible and I couldn't let being an emergency take my attention away from performing game day with the Box Hill side. There were so many new experiences in 2014, grateful nonetheless that I was finally healthy again.
I remember going into Alastair Clarkson’s office before Round 1 (I actually visited the coach's office a fair bit throughout the season; wanting feedback as to where I was at selection wise, areas of improvement, etc.) and asking him what I needed to do to get into the senior side. He mentioned continuity was an important factor because I needed the ability to play football again on a regular basis and stand up to the rigours/demands of the game - that made a lot of sense to me. Getting exposure in my legs, coping with hits and becoming match-hardened were a by-product of getting onto the field week in week out. To be able to do this now at VFL level was a great feeling as the more confidence I got after each game, the performances were looking after themselves. Breaking down match day goals into four quarters was something I always did, along with trigger words written on my wrists. I quickly found myself in a routine come game day of knowing what I wanted to do for the team during the game and how I wanted to attack the game from the outset. From being on the sidelines to actually building enough confidence to know that each week I would be playing - my history of knee injuries were very much an after thought when I was back playing the game I loved again. The goal was still to make my debut however - I knew my chance would come in time if I stayed out on the park and improved on each performance. I always told myself that even though it was a tough side to break into...if I played well enough I would at least make it hard for them not to pick me - I just had to keep working away at it.
Photo: Alex in action playing for Box Hill.
Photo Credit: HeraldSun