Darcy braces for a big season

[southerncross]

This from the Herald Sun

Darcy braces for a big season
21 January 2007 Sunday Herald Sun
JON RALPH


http://www.heraldsun.com.au/files/dogs.jpg WESTERN Bulldogs ruckman Luke Darcy says there is no reason he cannot return to peak form, despite recovering from his second knee reconstruction in as many years.

The 31-year-old has started throwing himself into competitive training as he continues a methodical training program that started on March 1 last year. Darcy's only concession to the knee has been a sizeable brace, but he is confident he will play some NAB Cup games and be ready for the Bulldogs' April 1 season opener against Geelong.
The former captain first injured his knee against the Cats in Round 6 of 2005, then again wrecked the ligament in the club's last training session before Christmas in that year.
While he has been out of the game for almost two seasons and is uncertain what impact he will make, he says there is no reason he cannot again be a force in AFL football.
"I hope so. Whatever that peak was, maybe I can improve on it and maybe I can get better?" he said at the club's East Meets West family day at Wesley's College's Glen Waverley campus.
"There are different challenges. It's a whole new side and a different coach. I have only played six games under this coach (Rodney Eade).
"I am looking at it as, 'Can I be as important a part of this side as I was?' and it's going to be a hard thing to judge. But I want to contribute and I am pretty confident I can do that.
"I am really happy with the amount of work I have done and I am at the stage where we are starting to play some match-type practice and I am just filtering back into doing all that."
Eade yesterday forecast multiple roles for Darcy as his confidence improves. But Darcy is expected to play at full-forward early in the season.
"Early days we are thinking that he will be our key forward, but you never know," Eade said.
"He is a talented player, so he will play some time in the ruck, and he is a smart player so he can play full forward, centre half-forward, and a bit on the ball, so we will just wait and see."
Recruit Andrew McDougall has missed a month with a knee injury but is about to return to training. Ryan Hargrave is about to step up his training after an ankle reconstruction.

Darcy Braces for big season (http://www.heraldsun.news.com.au/footy/common/story_page/0,8033,21091839%255E20322,00.html)

[BulldogBelle]

Full of confidence Darce is, great to see he will be getting back into the competitive training, this will surely boost his confidence even further. He has always seemed a driven person to me and he has unfinished business at the Dogs - looking forward to watching him play in NAB cup.

[The Bulldogs Bite]

Darcy has always been a very well spoken player and it's terrific to hear that he has confidence within his ability to be able to contribute as an individual to the team's success. No explanation is needed as to how he makes us a far better side with him playing, so I look forward to seeing him play in the NAB Cup along with Round 1.

I suspect it'll take a while to get his touch back, such as reaction time and his reading of the play, but the fact that he's naturally a very good Footballer and a very intelligent and strong Footballer should hold him in good stead, particuarly as our FF with the precision passes that he'll be on the end of.

[BulldogBelle]

Once Darcy is back and kicks a few goals in a game or three, the crowd will erupt into excitement - can't wait to see him out there playing again.

[Max469]

Darc will not have to kick any goals before the crowd goes right off.

Everybody is so looking forward to him being back - all it will take is for him to run on to the ground.

Can't wait.

[Dry Rot]

Darc will not have to kick any goals before the crowd goes right off.

Everybody is so looking forward to him being back - all it will take is for him to run on to the ground.

Can't wait.

What are your expectations of him this season?

[Max469]

I want Darc to regain his confidence in the first few games. By all accounts from what I have seen and heard he is very focused in his training - which is great and I would have expected nothing less from him.

I expect him to play forward and kick a few goals each game. I am sure that he will back up Will in the ruck (seems funny saying that and not the other way round with Will backing him up).

By mid season I expect him to definitely to have found his confidence and football feet again.

Then it will be definitely GAME ON.

He will run out, feeling great to be part of it again. There are a lot of new players since he was first injured in both our team and the opposition. So he will be learning their style of play too. New players will test him out - let's see if he is still the champion he was? I expect him to show them he is.

He will be saying -------- I'm Luke Darcy and I'M BACK

[alwaysadog]

I want Darc to regain his confidence in the first few games. By all accounts from what I have seen and heard he is very focused in his training - which is great and I would have expected nothing less from him.

I expect him to play forward and kick a few goals each game. I am sure that he will back up Will in the ruck (seems funny saying that and not the other way round with Will backing him up).

By mid season I expect him to definitely to have found his confidence and football feet again.

Then it will be definitely GAME ON.

He will run out, feeling great to be part of it again. There are a lot of new players since he was first injured in both our team and the opposition. So he will be learning their style of play too. New players will test him out - let's see if he is still the champion he was? I expect him to show them he is.

He will be saying -------- I'm Luke Darcy and I'M BACK


I usually go along with the "they should take it quietly and ease themselves back in" school of recovery and with most of what you say in an interesting post.

There are just a couple of additional considerations, the first is Darce's character on the field. I've heard trainers and runners are very circumspect about how they approach him. If he doesn't have a touch of white line fever he is certainly a very intense player. I wonder how much he will be able to rein that in.

The second comes from a thing I saw him do at the recent East meets West morning. As a group session was coming towards its end he looked up and saw a trainer close by with a football and indicated to the trainer to kick it to him. The trainer kicked it quite hard from close range. The kick wasn't good and looked as if it would miss him completely until he just stuck out a hand and the ball stuck. It was more like a slips catch done with a football. I wondered then if he isn't already in good touch, because going by that example (I recognise it's not good to generalise on the basis of one example) he has certainly spent a lot of time on his ball handling while recuperating. If he comes back in good touch it may be impossible to contain him once the preseason slap and giggle is over.

[Hard Ball Get]

It will be exciting to see him back.
Hopefully after a few games and the touch and confidence returns we can see him push up the ground a bit more.
Centre Half Forward would be an interesting one. If he can recapture some mobility it might be good to have a guy of his size and strength to be standing in that area. It has been a while since we have had someone able to do that.

[MsBulldog]

My favourite Doggies player - I can't wait see the number 14 back out there again. Of course it is the great unknown how he will settle in re confidence in his knee. I reckon it took Grant a season to really get back into the groove and Darcy is no spring chicken (in footy player years). No doubt the footy nous hasn't gone anywhere and he has clearly kept himself physically fit during his long rehab. I also like the fact he doesn't take any rubbish from the opposition - good to have someone out there with a bit of agro.

Fingers crossed all goes well with his injury. No Matty Primus please.