Grant believes there's still life in an ageing Bulldog

[Greystache]

WESTERN Bulldogs great Chris Grant says Adam Cooney is still adjusting to life with a degenerative knee but believes he can still have a rewarding career.

Cooney has played 11 matches this season but none since he lacked running power and penetration in his kicking against Essendon in round 14.

He has carried the knee problem since he was hurt in the 2008 qualifying final against Hawthorn.

There is a chance Cooney, 27 next month, may not play again this year, although he and the club's medical staff remain hopeful that will not be the case.



Grant, now the club's director of football, said Cooney, contracted until the end of next season, remains a part of the team's long-term future.

''We are really hopeful and really positive about what impact he can have on the team,'' Grant said.

''Adam is just a really good clubman. We obviously know how well he can play at the top of his game but Adam is also learning a lot about himself.

''Our aim is to continue to push him forward. I know our medical staff and Adam have been really happy with the way he has been progressing over the past few weeks.

''Whether that means we see him this year, that remains to be seen, but I think Adam and the medical staff are quite keen for that to happen.''

Cooney, the 2008 Brownlow medallist, has had to modify his training program, as many of the game's stars, including Andrew McLeod and Greg Williams, did, because of degenerative injuries.

Grant, too, went through a similar ordeal when injuries began to take a toll on his decorated career.

What has been noticeable this season is that Cooney, a veteran of 179 matches, has lacked explosiveness in his second efforts.

''In the long-term, the hope is Adam feels really comfortable about what his future may hold and what he is actually able to bring as a teammate,'' Grant said.

''Someone with that much talent, you are going to have a role to play, don't you worry.''

In a bid to prolong his career, Cooney's future may lay more as a dangerous forward than as a regular midfielder.

''It's not an easy thing. The reality is people think because you are a professional footballer, you have got that much support around you with medical staff and experts and all those types of guys, and it's something [pushing on] you have to do. That's not the case,'' Grant said.

''The reality is, coming to grips with training in a different way and maybe not being able to do the things you were able to do but still deliver at a really high level to help the team, it brings its own rewards with that.

Article

[The Bulldogs Bite]

We've been fed the exact same message for the last two years.

I'd much rather be reading about us doing everything within our powers to find a cure ala Kobe Bryant.

[LostDoggy]

We've been fed the exact same message for the last two years.

I'd much rather be reading about us doing everything within our powers to find a cure ala Kobe Bryant.

Agreed.

I saw an article on the AFL website regarding Clint Bartram trying some revolutionary knee surgery to fix his knee.

I mean if Melbourne would try this for Bartram of all people then surely we could have tried something by now..

[SlimPickens]

Agreed.

I saw an article on the AFL website regarding Clint Bartram trying some revolutionary knee surgery to fix his knee.

I mean if Melbourne would try this for Bartram of all people then surely we could have tried something by now..

Unfortunately Bartrams and Cooneys issues are completely different. In Adams case its a patella tracking complaint which basically means everytime he walks, runs or weight bears through that leg he is getting friction as the two surfaces (patella/femur) are rubbing on each other, resulting in inflammation, pain and further degeneration. People say surgery is the answer but realistically we are dealing with a space that by design is small (less than 1cm), and meant for smooth a fairly concise movement. If you have surgery under the patella to "clean it out" as it heals it produces scar tissue which is not the same as the normal tissue and basically sends you back to square one which we have seen with Adam.

There are various other options been thrown around such as stem cell therapy that Riewoldt and Bartram are having. These are still in their infancy in terms of surgery and not specifically designed to deal with Adams condition.

Unfortunately Adam is going to need on going careful management, I just hope we have the medical and strength & conditioning staff which have the competency to deal with it.

[Hotdog60]

Unfortunately Bartrams and Cooneys issues are completely different. In Adams case its a patella tracking complaint which basically means everytime he walks, runs or weight bears through that leg he is getting friction as the two surfaces (patella/femur) are rubbing on each other, resulting in inflammation, pain and further degeneration. People say surgery is the answer but realistically we are dealing with a space that by design is small (less than 1cm), and meant for smooth a fairly concise movement. If you have surgery under the patella to "clean it out" as it heals it produces scar tissue which is not the same as the normal tissue and basically sends you back to square one which we have seen with Adam.

There are various other options been thrown around such as stem cell therapy that Riewoldt and Bartram are having. These are still in their infancy in terms of surgery and not specifically designed to deal with Adams condition.

Unfortunately Adam is going to need on going careful management, I just hope we have the medical and strength & conditioning staff which have the competency to deal with it.

Question? Can you function without a patella. Is the knee cap just protection for the joint and would you have better freedom if it was removed or a artificial one instead.
Just curious and I hope not a stupid question.

[LostDoggy]

Unfortunately Bartrams and Cooneys issues are completely different. In Adams case its a patella tracking complaint which basically means everytime he walks, runs or weight bears through that leg he is getting friction as the two surfaces (patella/femur) are rubbing on each other, resulting in inflammation, pain and further degeneration. People say surgery is the answer but realistically we are dealing with a space that by design is small (less than 1cm), and meant for smooth a fairly concise movement. If you have surgery under the patella to "clean it out" as it heals it produces scar tissue which is not the same as the normal tissue and basically sends you back to square one which we have seen with Adam.

There are various other options been thrown around such as stem cell therapy that Riewoldt and Bartram are having. These are still in their infancy in terms of surgery and not specifically designed to deal with Adams condition.

Unfortunately Adam is going to need on going careful management, I just hope we have the medical and strength & conditioning staff which have the competency to deal with it.

Thanks for all that info! Doesn't look great for Cooney..

I wasn't suggestion Bartram and Cooneys problems were similar, was more referring to the fact they are being proactive about it. Surely there's some sort of treatment overseas we could explore

[SlimPickens]

Question? Can you function without a patella. Is the knee cap just protection for the joint and would you have better freedom if it was removed or a artificial one instead.
Just curious and I hope not a stupid question.

No you can't unfortunately it's the anchor point for quad contraction and thus knee extension (straightening the leg).

They can replace the under surface of the patella which is fairly common practice in total knee replacements. But it would have to be a pretty radical surgeon who would be willing to perform this on a 27yo.

[Greystache]

No you can't unfortunately it's the anchor point for quad contraction and thus knee extension (straightening the leg).

They can replace the under surface of the patella which is fairly common practice in total knee replacements. But it would have to be a pretty radical surgeon who would be willing to perform this on a 27yo.

Patello-femoral unicompartmental replacement is the other alternative, although it's not overly popular in Australia and more a specialty of the French. It's been used as a solution in low impact sports such as linebackers in the NFL but just isn't a realistic solution for a dynamic sport such as AFL.

[SlimPickens]

Patello-femoral unicompartmental replacement is the other alternative, although it's not overly popular in Australia and more a specialty of the French. It's been used as a solution in low impact sports such as linebackers in the NFL but just isn't a realistic solution for a dynamic sport such as AFL.

Rightly so, remember he is only 27 and has a whole life to live post football. No ethical surgeon would touch that with a 10 foot barge pole.

[Maddog37]

Time to cut the cord unless medical options are available. Continuing on the same path is fruitless.