Hyde itching to return
4:45:58 PM Tue 3 May, 2005
Angus Morgan
Sportal for afl.com.au
Richmond midfielder Chris Hyde has said he's looking forward to getting his head over the ball to prove he's fully recovered from a fractured skull and ready to return to action for the Tigers.
Speaking at Punt Road on Tuesday, Hyde said he'd been for a couple of light runs and taken part in one training session since his head clash with St Kilda defender Matt Maguire nine days ago which left the pair unconscious and Hyde with a small fracture to his skull.
The 22 year-old said he has a meeting with the club's neurosurgeon on Thursday and will need the all-clear from him before being allowed to return to action, most likely in one or two weeks.
"In football, there's a lot of psychological things and I just need to try and come back when I'm ready and I feel that I can compete well," Hyde said.
"I won’t come back unless I'm ready to do that.
"Physically I'm ok at the moment, but I just need to make sure my head's right psychologically.
"I need to be able to put my head over the footy again, and I won't come back and play until I can do that."
Hyde said he can remember trying to take a mark at Telstra Dome against the Saints, but then the next thing he can recall is waking up in rooms after the match.
He said he wasn't fazed by watching the incident on television from his hospital bed, and nor was he concerned when told that x-rays showed a small fracture.
"I felt ok, so it wasn't that big a deal," he said."
Hyde said he had been advised he needs to wear some protective headgear when he returns to play, but he hasn’t decided whether to go for the Phil Narkle spaceman look, the Rod Ashman bike helmet, the Don Holmes boxing headgear, or the John Hutton black wraparound bubble wrap style headwear.
Hyde said he was encouraged by having watched Matt Maguire play strongly for the Saints against Collingwood last Sunday.
"There's nothing to say that I can’t do it, so I just need to be strong in my mind for myself and just go about it the right way."
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