Richmond turns to Liverpool for Browny

[one-eyed]

Richmond turns to Liverpool
By Melissa Ryan
The Age
June 19, 2005

Richmond has scoured the world to provide injured star Nathan Brown with the best care in his recovery from a badly broken leg, buying special gym equipment and consulting the Liverpool soccer club for help.

Brown, who had both bones in his lower leg snapped just over three weeks ago, has already started weights work on his long road back to full fitness, with Tigers president Clinton Casey last night saying the club had bought equipment for his use which would not put weight on his snapped leg.

"Some good news for the club over the past week: he's continued to improve and he's been down at the club several times for treatment, and he's becoming more mobile at the moment," Casey said.

"As you'd expect, he's lost a lot of muscle tone but it has been very, very pleasing that he's already started to do some weights for a speedy recovery.

"I can assure you the club's leaving no stone unturned in ensuring he'll have a successful rehabilitation. We are actually purchasing some special equipment that will allow him to undertake extensive physical activities without loading up any weight onto his leg."

The club has also spoken to Liverpool about its striker Djibril Cisse, who broke his leg in an identical fashion last October yet last month, after a six-month recovery, was part of the team which defeated AC Milan in the Champions League final.

Club doctor Greg Hickey had spoken of Cisse as a source of inspiration for Brown after Brown had surgery to insert a titanium rod into his leg, with the club now going further in its quest to help him by finding out the particulars of Cisse's road to recovery.

"In addition, we're also consulting with the Liverpool soccer club as one of their star players last year had a similar injury, a bad leg break, and six months later he played in the European Cup final and scored the winning goal," Casey said.

http://www.realfooty.theage.com.au/realfooty/articles/2005/06/18/1119034103010.html

[one-eyed]

Tigers seeks aid for Brown
19 June 2005   
Sunday Herald Sun
Jon Ralph and Ken Piesse

RICHMOND forward Nathan Brown will seek inspiration and information from Liverpool soccer club and the Brisbane Lions as he seeks to speed his recovery from a broken right leg.

Brown has Richmond's medical team consulting Liverpool after its striker, Djibril Cisse, returned from a similar break in only five months.

The Frenchman suffered the break in October last year, yet last month was part of the Reds side that beat AC Milan to win the Champions League final.

Brown hopes to discuss his recovery with Brisbane captain Michael Voss, who broke his leg at a similar stage of a season yet returned by Round 2 the following year.

While Brown has ruled out any comeback this year, he is determined to return to football the same player that kick-started Richmond's stellar start to the season.

"I had a few emails and things from overseas about human growth hormones, telling me they could have me back playing three weeks," he told Triple M yesterday.

"Looking at my leg, I doubt whether that is right . . . I will just stick to the course proper.

"I have got the club contacting Liverpool because Cisse did the same injury. We have got the club contacting them, finding out what his program was."

Brown said he was still taking painkillers and rarely left the Docklands apartment he and girlfriend Sally are staying in.

"It has been quite frustrating," he said. "I was speaking to Plough (Terry Wallace) the other day, and he said the first few weeks were about getting rid of the pain and getting swelling out. Probably after that will be the time you get angry about the season and lost opportunities this year."

Richmond president Clinton Casey said last night the club has bought special exercise equipment to aid Brown, similar to that used by Cisse.

"Nathan has lost a lot of muscle tone," Casey said. "But he's happy to be at least starting his serious rehab work."

http://www.heraldsun.news.com.au/footy/common/story_page/0,8033,15660622%255E19771,00.html