DARREN MONCRIEFF
Friday, July 22, 2011
TWO-hundred games of football is a mighty effort. So is beginning your recovery from injury at 3am with ice baths and warm showers well into the following afternoon ... all without sleep.
Those were the measures Adelaide's Graham Johncock took to play his 200th AFL game for the Crows in Melbourne tonight.
Johncock (pictured) started his 199th game against Essendon last week in devastating fashion. He was arguably the game's most influential player right up until the point where he landed awkwardly from a marking contest, later complaining to club doctors that couldn't feel his hip.
He was transferred to hospital via ambulance where doctors later cleared him of serious damage.
Johncock returned to the Crows' training base at AAMI Stadium where he began his post-match recovery in the early hours of Saturday morning. Still a little weary on Wednesday, Johncock passed a fitness test to be in line for tonight's match against St Kilda at Etihad Stadium.
Now that's dedication because the easy way out would have been to say he'll have a week off and play his milestone against Port Adelaide in Adelaide in next weekend's Showdown.
A Crows fan as a youngster, 28-year-old Johncock becomes just the 10th player at the club to reach 200 games. He said he never thought he'd reach such a milestone.
"It's something that when I got drafted I thought I wouldn't be getting to but finally getting there it is something I'll definitely cherish," he said.
"Obviously it's been well documented that I've had my ups and downs but the club has been very supportive of me and my family, as have everyone back home; they're always behind me 100 per cent, my family from Port Lincoln, so hopefully we can put on a good show for them (against St Kilda).
"In my early years, I thought AFL footy was just about going out on the weekends and having a kick but it's not. But if it's just 'footy, footy, footy' it can get to you so I believe you've got to make sure you have that balance."
To convince the Crows' selection committee, Johncock was put through a demanding workout this week.
"I had had a rigorous run on Wednesday," he said. "I did a few stride-outs, agility tests, ball work, leads, ground-ball work ... general stuff to make sure I was getting up to the right amount of work that you'd get in a game, so provided I pull up Ok, I should be right."
For Adelaide fans, and footy fans in general, Johncock has seemingly struck the perfect balance.
Wonaeamirri rejoins Demons, Rioli signs on, Hayden injury setback
TIWI man Austin Wonaeamirri has returned to Melbourne to join the Demons after being granted leave from the club in May.
Wonaeamirri, 22, said he had a chat with Melbourne coach Dean Bailey last week convinced him to reignite his 31-game AFL career after almost two months away.
He will join the club’s VFL feeder team before being considered for selection.
Hawthorn's Cyril Rioli hopes to be a Hawk for life after extending his contract this week.
The 2008 AFL premiership player was contracted to the club until the end of the 2012 season but he extended that yesterday.
Rioli is likely to make his return to AFL ranks after recovering from soft-tissue injury. He has since modified his running style to prevent a recurrence of the hamstring strains that have left him on the sidelines, and frustrated, for much of this season.
And Fremantle defender Roger Hayden has been sidelined for the remainder of the home-and-away season after fracturing a leg bone against Sydney.
The injury came to light in the final quarter of the match at the SCG.
This latest setback comes after Hayden missed the opening 13 games due to injury.
AboriginalFootball@westnet.com.au
Last Modified on 22/07/2011 16:51