Nathan Brown powers up
24 May 2006 Herald Sun
Bruce Matthews
A PATIENT Richmond will ease Nathan Brown back into full training today in what will be a huge advance to have him playing again.
While coach Terry Wallace won't nominate when Brown will return, he plans for it to be in the next couple of weeks.
"First week on the training track he would need to be showing us that he can get through sessions and pull up OK," Wallace said.
"It would be at least a week away from him showing that.
"He has been on a monitored program to make sure we got the pain under control.
"He has worked on running machines and in the water and built up. Last week he did some straight-line running.
"This time we've had a strong plan in place. It might look from the outside that it's indefinite, but it's not from where we're going."
Post-match pain in the repaired right leg forced Brown to stop playing after two rounds. He has contributed to the Tigers' solid start in the coach's box and at team meetings.
But the classy forward is still wrestling with the psychological torment, that feeling of rejection when not directly involved with his teammates.
"We have massive mental issues in this competition with guys out injured," Wallace said.
"It's such a boys' club, a good feeling to be among your group and working hard and bonding together. When you are, I suppose, ostracised from that, blokes struggle to deal with it, struggle to handle it.
"I think it's one of the things the AFL has to spend a bit of time looking at, the mental pressures it puts on players.
"He has been excellent in his work in the box with us and his input has been great.
"He comes to every single one of our team meetings, be it post or pre-game meetings.
"But it's not playing and not training and not doing what he wants to be doing."
http://www.heraldsun.news.com.au/footy/common/story_page/0,8033,19238012%255E19771,00.html
