Before I was introduced to Danny, I had somewhat of an idea of who he was. Everyone that knows Danny only have high praise of Danny, and I caught a glimpse of his down-to-earth demeanor whilst heading out to interview him; Danny walked by, not without saying hello to everybody in the clubroom first. In that instant, I instantly knew why Danny is so loved and well respected around the clubroom.
An athlete’s worst nightmare would be to endure an injury that rules you out for the whole season. Danny Younan, tore his ACL, in the first 5 minutes of last season, during a practice match against Frankston that ruled him out for the whole season nevertheless Danny never allowed his injury rule out his love of the game.
“Knife straight to my heart” were his exact words when I asked him how he felt when he got injured. The journey to recovery was 12 long months, from the beginning Danny had his personal goal; to finish pre-season and play his first senior VFL match. Last week Danny played his first VFL game, from the first bounce, all his worries were gone and replaced with the exhilarating feeling to be playing football after a hard 12 months of proving to himself that he can overcome this injury.
“I wouldn’t have survived without the support of my family and the boys, their support gave me the strength to beat my injury.”
Danny has the utmost appreciation for the support of his family, their ongoing encouragement and belief that he can overcome his injury. The continuous support of family weren’t the only factors that contributed to his return, the support from the boys was pivotal in pushing Danny to overcome his injury and get back on the football field. Danny speaks highly of Coburg and how it feels like home, “When you never want to leave, you know it’s home”. Danny has high admiration for captain Nick Carnell, who showed concern and reached out wondering about the outcome and within a few hours, Danny received an outpour of supportive messages from his teammates. The support from loved ones were important in helping Danny beat his injury to ensure he played the first round with the rest of the boys, which he did.
An injury can be somewhat a lesson in disguise. As an individual Danny recognized his growth mentally as an adult. As a player, Danny was able to learn to become more appreciative of the game and the chances he had in front of him. Being injured allowed Danny to appreciate the boys, the culture of the footy club, his role as a leader in the club but more importantly it allowed Danny to recognize that chances like playing VFL football shouldn’t be taken lightly.
Danny is not just any football player around the clubroom; Danny is also host of Coburg TV, which we all love to watch while he is also part of the leadership group. Being a leader for a group of boys, Danny is ultimately their ‘big brother’, a leader around the club is a great achievement, one I think, is rightly deserved.
Alex Morella, from Tomato Timing, who sponsors Danny only had kind words to say, “Danny is the hardest working bloke here, his shown how much he wants this, to see him play his first VFL game was really satisfying, Danny is an absolute top bloke”.
A comeback story is always a great read; Danny Younan is officially a comeback story.
Aicha Saad
Last Modified on 11/04/2014 10:49