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Kennelly relies on pluck
By Jenny McAsey
April 01, 2004
IF Tadhg Kennelly plays for the Swans against Fremantle on Sunday, you can put it down to the pluck of the Irish rather than luck.
Seven days ago Sydney's Irish import entered hospital for surgery to repair a torn medial cartilage in his left knee, sustained at training the night before.
Doctors estimated Kennelly wouldn't be able to play until round three or four.
But last night the hard-running half-back flanker was back on the training track doing rapid-fire handball drills, and coach Paul Roos said he had been selected to play on Sunday.
Club physiotherapist Matt Cameron said Kennelly's recovery was the quickest he had seen from cartilage surgery.
"He's one of those mad Irishmen," Cameron said. "He's pretty tough. They just have a different attitude to pain."
Kennelly reckons he didn't sleep for the first 48 hours after the operation as he applied a pressure pump and ice to reduce swelling and speed recovery.
"He has been working pretty hard," Cameron said. "For the past five days he has been sitting up (in the medical room) for about 10 hours a day and then he sits around at home with the pump and ice on."
Come Sunday, it will be only 10 days since Kennelly went under the knife to have a loose piece of his left medial meniscus cut away.
Roos, who played 356 games for Fitzroy and Sydney between 1982 and 1998, said he was astonished at how quickly Kennelly had recovered.
"I know it is ancient history, but I remember when I played under-19s, a cartilage operation then was six months (recovery)," Roos said.
"So for a guy to come back in 10 or 11 days is staggering. What they can do with medical science is amazing." Roos said Kennelly would have to complete a final running test today.
His speed and quick rebound from defence will be important on Sunday as Sydney try to counter Fremantle's pacy forwards, Jeff Farmer and Paul Medhurst, who kicked seven goals between them in their round-one win over Carlton.
Another Sydney defender, Leo Barry, recovered from a cartilage operation in 12 days a few seasons ago, so Kennelly is on target to beat the club record.
"When you have a torn cartilage, it is actually easy to fix," Cameron said.
"They go in with the arthroscope, take away the problem, which is the flap of cartilage, and then you are right.
"But then it all depends on how individual players' knees respond to the operation. Some guys get a really sore knee after the operation and some don't."
By Jenny McAsey
April 01, 2004
IF Tadhg Kennelly plays for the Swans against Fremantle on Sunday, you can put it down to the pluck of the Irish rather than luck.
Seven days ago Sydney's Irish import entered hospital for surgery to repair a torn medial cartilage in his left knee, sustained at training the night before.
Doctors estimated Kennelly wouldn't be able to play until round three or four.
But last night the hard-running half-back flanker was back on the training track doing rapid-fire handball drills, and coach Paul Roos said he had been selected to play on Sunday.
Club physiotherapist Matt Cameron said Kennelly's recovery was the quickest he had seen from cartilage surgery.
"He's one of those mad Irishmen," Cameron said. "He's pretty tough. They just have a different attitude to pain."
Kennelly reckons he didn't sleep for the first 48 hours after the operation as he applied a pressure pump and ice to reduce swelling and speed recovery.
"He has been working pretty hard," Cameron said. "For the past five days he has been sitting up (in the medical room) for about 10 hours a day and then he sits around at home with the pump and ice on."
Come Sunday, it will be only 10 days since Kennelly went under the knife to have a loose piece of his left medial meniscus cut away.
Roos, who played 356 games for Fitzroy and Sydney between 1982 and 1998, said he was astonished at how quickly Kennelly had recovered.
"I know it is ancient history, but I remember when I played under-19s, a cartilage operation then was six months (recovery)," Roos said.
"So for a guy to come back in 10 or 11 days is staggering. What they can do with medical science is amazing." Roos said Kennelly would have to complete a final running test today.
His speed and quick rebound from defence will be important on Sunday as Sydney try to counter Fremantle's pacy forwards, Jeff Farmer and Paul Medhurst, who kicked seven goals between them in their round-one win over Carlton.
Another Sydney defender, Leo Barry, recovered from a cartilage operation in 12 days a few seasons ago, so Kennelly is on target to beat the club record.
"When you have a torn cartilage, it is actually easy to fix," Cameron said.
"They go in with the arthroscope, take away the problem, which is the flap of cartilage, and then you are right.
"But then it all depends on how individual players' knees respond to the operation. Some guys get a really sore knee after the operation and some don't."
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