Coughlan speaks of troubling times
Nick Hulett
Sportal/exclusive to afl.com.au
11:06:21 AM Thu 10 June, 2004
Mark Coughlan’s rise to stardom at Richmond has been meteoric, but for the 22-year-old, 2004 has been anything but dazzling, with injury having kept him out of action since round five.
After placing third in the club best and fairest in 2002, Coughlan followed that up winning the Jack Dyer Medal in 2003, and in the process earning his place among the elite midfielders in the competition.
Having been enlisted as the ‘face’ of the Tigers for the current season, Coughlan struggled to overcome an injury involving instability in the pubic bone, and it was decided by the club after the loss to Adelaide that time off was his only option.
“I couldn't have gone on,” he told afl.com.au in an exclusive interview. Obviously the way I was playing wasn't helping the team at all. In the long term it's one of those injuries that can develop into a 12-month injury if you're not careful with it and had I played out the end of the season, the risks were too high.”
“It was just a real pulling pain around the stomach and groin region when I bent over to pick up the ball or when I tried to get into some sort of stride or take off the mark which is really important in footy”,
“It's a tricky one to get right and they said it's going to be between three and 10 weeks and that's the nature of the injury. You're not sure if it's going to be right tomorrow or in 10 weeks time. It's just one of those things you've got to wait and see.
“I plan to play a half in the VFL before I get going in the seniors just to make sure that it's ok. That might be next week or it might be the week after so I think that will all depend on how I train.”
The Perth native was rewarded for the fine start to his career with a lucrative three-year deal at the end of 2003, but he has dispelled the notion there was a temptation to return home.
“The club's supported me to the hilt. I've been given every sort of opportunity here and the opportunities for me at the club are endless. I think there's going to be a real changing of the guard over the next few years and I want to be here when that happens.
“Yeah, it's always good to get back to see the family and friends but every time we come across playing the Eagles I'm injured so as good as it is seeing them I'd much rather be out there playing footy.”
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