TonyK
CibbuanoCoughlan on the road back
July 8th 2008 07:15
INJURY prone Richmond midfielder Mark Coughlan will take a major step forward in his bid to return to AFL level when he plays successive matches for the first time since suffering the first of two major knee injuries in 2006.
Coughlan, who has not played at AFL level since injuring his knee against Hawthorn in Tasmania in round 12, 2006, has been battling on-going hamstring problems this season.
The 2003 best-and-fairest winner played one practice match for Richmond before again suffering hamstring soreness and then after finally returning again for Coburg in the VFL in mid May he played just one game before breaking down again.
But s a visit to respected German soft tissue specialist Dr Hans-Wilhelm Muller-Wohlfarth - where he endured over 100 injections over a 12 day period - has paid dividends.
Coughlan, who played for Coburg's reserves last weekend did not pull up sore after his comeback game and will now play at senior level for Coburg this week..
Richmond coach Terry Wallace said he was pleased with Coughlan's progress.
"It's probably the first time I have seen him on the training track actually really seriously kicking through the footy since he did his knee down in Tasmania," he said.
"It's been that long since I have seen him look free and kicking the ball like he wants to kick the footy."
But Wallace said Coughlan would need to show that he can handle the rigours of competitive football for several weeks before being considered for a recall.
"It's a real positive but I want to see five or six weeks of it," he said.
"You just want to see him come sort of continuity of his footy but one thing about Mark is he really hunts the football so if he can get himself right he might come to hand pretty quickly because of the way he plays the game but we just need to get him through a few weeks first and hopefully he can stand up to that."
Coughlan, who has not played at AFL level since injuring his knee against Hawthorn in Tasmania in round 12, 2006, has been battling on-going hamstring problems this season.
The 2003 best-and-fairest winner played one practice match for Richmond before again suffering hamstring soreness and then after finally returning again for Coburg in the VFL in mid May he played just one game before breaking down again.
But s a visit to respected German soft tissue specialist Dr Hans-Wilhelm Muller-Wohlfarth - where he endured over 100 injections over a 12 day period - has paid dividends.
Coughlan, who played for Coburg's reserves last weekend did not pull up sore after his comeback game and will now play at senior level for Coburg this week..
Richmond coach Terry Wallace said he was pleased with Coughlan's progress.
"It's probably the first time I have seen him on the training track actually really seriously kicking through the footy since he did his knee down in Tasmania," he said.
"It's been that long since I have seen him look free and kicking the ball like he wants to kick the footy."
But Wallace said Coughlan would need to show that he can handle the rigours of competitive football for several weeks before being considered for a recall.
"It's a real positive but I want to see five or six weeks of it," he said.
"You just want to see him come sort of continuity of his footy but one thing about Mark is he really hunts the football so if he can get himself right he might come to hand pretty quickly because of the way he plays the game but we just need to get him through a few weeks first and hopefully he can stand up to that."
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