Bulldogs defender Dale Morris vows to beat injury and play in Round 1

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DALE Morris knows nursing his broken leg back to full strength is only half the battle.

The Western Bulldogs defender is 14 weeks into a rehabilitation that included a month in a wheelchair.

Morris, 29, snapped his leg in Round 21, then, with an epidural to numb the pain, watched in hospital while doctors manipulated the bone back into place.

Now he is hoping to be running by Christmas and be back on the field for Round 1.

But, speaking for the first time about an injury similar to the one that ruined Richmond star Nathan Brown's career, Morris conceded how shocked he was.

"I finally watched (the video) after about eight weeks, and there was just nothing in it," he said.

"I was in the wrong spot at the wrong time. I collided with Woody (teammate Easton Wood) and split my chin and broke my leg.

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"He came into the hospital and he had a bruise on his shin and a bump on his leg. I copped the wrong end of the deal."

Morris is thankful he did not need surgery.

"The calcification is making the bone stronger than before," he said.

"It's a long journey and there is still a long way to go. I am battling the injury and then the mental scarring with everything that happened. When the injury is fine, then I have to train up my mind because never in my wildest dreams did I think this would happen to me.

"You can heal well, but you have to heal upstairs as well. It's in your mind: are you going to be the same? Will the fitness and confidence come back to be able to run and jump on the leg? When I do come back, if someone smothers my leg how will I be?

"Those are the questions I have got at the moment because I can't get out on the track."

Surgeon David Young is happy with Morris's progress and plans to ramp up his program.

From there the player will be guided by the pain levels and the ability of his leg muscles to recover after dwindling to almost nothing.

"You have to go on how it feels and what the surgeon says," Morris said. "Youngy wants me running by Christmas.

"That's my goal, to be ready by Round 1. Whether it's AFL or Williamstown remains to be seen.



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Bulldogs defender Dale Morris vows to beat injury and play in Round 1

When you look up determination in a dictionary there should be a picture of Dale there. What an absolute champ!

I just wondered if too much discussion about the mental battle with the leg is food for opposition players.

Hope he doesn't rush it. One of the greats of the team and as big a loss as Cooney or Lake IMO

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Originally Posted by Ghost Dog

I just wondered if too much discussion about the mental battle with the leg is food for opposition players.

Hope he doesn't rush it. One of the greats of the team and as big a loss as Cooney or Lake IMO

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He's a defender. I highly doubt the forward is going to be spending too much time aiming to jump across his leg to “test” him. He's going to instead be trying to get as far away from The Glove as he can.

Besides, the whole world knows he just broke his leg. They'd work it out regardless of what he said.

How the heck will he get back in time for Round 1 with that compound fracture? I thought he would be out till mid-season at the earliest.

The man is a machine.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Lantern

How the heck will he get back in time for Round 1 with that compound fracture? I thought he would be out till mid-season at the earliest.

The man is a machine.

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Hate to nitpick but it wash't a compound fracture - didn't break the skin.

Was bad though! ;)