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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.
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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.
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