Aker back on track

[southerncross]

This from the Age

Aker (http://www.realfooty.theage.com.au/realfooty/articles/2007/01/15/1168709682911.html)

Aka is back on track after illness

Vanessa Burrow
January 16, 2007


http://www.realfooty.theage.com.au/ffximage/2007/01/16/wbFOOTYakermanis_narrowweb__300x346.jpg Boom Bulldogs recruit Jason Akermanis, five kilograms lighter after a virus, sharpens his skills during a kick-to-kick session at the Whitten Oval yesterday.
Photo: Pat Scala

WESTERN Bulldogs star recruit Jason Akermanis returned to training yesterday after a run of bad health that left him five kilograms lighter.
A bout of conjunctivitis and a virus weakened the 29-year-old former Brisbane Lion, but he jogged onto the oval yesterday, getting straight into a kick-to-kick session.
"He won't be doing the full session," Eade said, as a skinnier Akermanis limbered up with the team.
The team, blighted by injury last year, is slowly returning to to full strength for the 2007 season.
Coach Rodney Eade, who oversaw yesterday's training session at Whitten Oval, said a group of his most talented players were on adapted training programs, gaining strength ahead of the pre-season NAB Cup.



Knee injuries were the team's biggest problems last year, with former captain Luke Darcy sidelined for a second successive year due to knee reconstructions, and Robert Murphy, Mitch Hahn and Tim Walsh spending months recovering from knee injuries.
However, they returned to training last week and Eade said that Darcy, the club's most valuable forward, had made good progress and was "on track" to play in the pre-season competition.
Walsh, Murphy and Hahn have been running every second day, and Murphy is likely to return in round one. Hahn's return has been pencilled in for May, Eade said.
Towards the end of last season, Adam Cooney was also hampered by injury. By the start of training last week, the mild bout of osteitis pubis had not completely cleared and the 21-year-old has been running every second day.
But Eade said Cooney's main problem was the removal of impacted wisdom teeth.
"His face was all blown up … he's been off work for three weeks," he said.
Tall defender Ryan Hargrave was also on Eade's list of returning injured players after an ankle reconstruction and was probably a month away from full fitness, the coach said.
After a skills session tomorrow, the Bulldogs go to Anglesea for a two-day camp that will include surfing, a triathlon and leadership and goal-setting workshops.

[The Bulldogs Bite]

Nice to hear Aker is back. I'm sure it won't take too long to put the 6 or so kg's back on. Generally you gain your weight back fairly quickly after an illness like that.

It's quite an extensive and quality filled injury list, isn't it? They are coming back slowly, but surely. Hopefully this puts us in a good position in the second half of the season where we'll be hoping to peak.

Adelaide for instance peaked too early, ditto Collingwood, where as West Coast, Sydney & Fremantle timed it very well. I think we might do the same, as the injured players - Darcy, Murphy, Hahn, Hargrave, Cooney - and possibly 1 or 2 others, should be at full stride late in the season.

I'm very excited about the upcoming season, but I'm also pondering on how good these guys can be in their first, for Darcy second, year(s) back.

[BulldogBelle]

Don't think it will take Aker to long to get that weight back on. I am so looking forward to seeing him play for our side. The Bulldog colours look great on him.

Good to see a report on how our other injured Dogs are slowly coming back from injuries.

[alwaysadog]

It's magic. I have this sense that he is driven to prove all his knockers wrong, and that he thrives on this sort of adversity.

With his skills and his experience he will be awesome, a challenge is exactly what he needs and it has been made abundantly clear that at least one person at Brizzie thinks he can't do it all over again.

My money is on Aker.

[alwaysadog]

Nice to hear Aker is back. I'm sure it won't take too long to put the 6 or so kg's back on. Generally you gain your weight back fairly quickly after an illness like that.

It's quite an extensive and quality filled injury list, isn't it? They are coming back slowly, but surely. Hopefully this puts us in a good position in the second half of the season where we'll be hoping to peak.

Adelaide for instance peaked too early, ditto Collingwood, where as West Coast, Sydney & Fremantle timed it very well. I think we might do the same, as the injured players - Darcy, Murphy, Hahn, Hargrave, Cooney - and possibly 1 or 2 others, should be at full stride late in the season.

I'm very excited about the upcoming season, but I'm also pondering on how good these guys can be in their first, for Darcy second, year(s) back.

That's a very good point you make about timing when a side needs to come towards its peak TBB. I have seen data that suggests it's about round 5 that the premiership side starts to make its move.

The issue of how soon players with major injuries return to anything like their best is mixed; many need a year to get over a host of niggles. On the other hand our coaching and conditioning staff will be even better informed about this and be trying to identify the cause and eliminate it. My impression is we have adopted a leave no stone unturned approach to recruiting, conditioning and rehab.

[Mofra]

This from the Age

However, they returned to training last week and Eade said that Darcy, the club's most valuable forward, had made good progress and was "on track" to play in the pre-season competition.
Interesting. I would still have Johnno as our most valuable forward - there is a thread in that in itself I'd say.

[alwaysadog]

Interesting. I would still have Johnno as our most valuable forward - there is a thread in that in itself I'd say.

I think you're right on both counts. When I reflect on the two, what strikes me is how complemetary they are. Johnno has become a small, marking on the lead forward; a focal point, whereas if I have been looking at the videos correctly, Aker is a much less a direct focus but more into snapping up spilled balls off the packs and turning 1/4 chances in pockets into goals.

With Darce, Murph and Aker to add to the forward mix we seem to not only have potency but also flexibility in ways we have only dreamed of.

Should we be able to call upon Hahn, and another tall develops, we might have a surfeit of riches that would only need another tall defender to emerge to be a genuine premiership contender.