Refreshed Nank up for fight for lead ruck roleRebecca Williams
Herald Sun
December 2, 2019 Richmond premiership ruckman Toby Nankervis is targeting a return to full training after Christmas following off-season groin surgery.
After groin trouble almost threatened to derail his finals hopes before returning to become a two-time premiership player, Nankervis hoped the surgery would put this year’s injury setbacks behind him as the Tigers chase back-to-back silverware.
Nankervis injured his groin in Round 8 against Fremantle and did not return to the senior line-up until Round 21. After pulling up sore from that game, Nankervis was later able to prove his fitness and played in all three finals for the Tigers en route to their premiership win.
The 25-year-old will return to training next week, but said he would not be stepping up his program until the New Year.
“I’ll be pretty slow until Christmas in terms of running and stuff, but I’ll be doing everything away from the track to hopefully get myself fit and strong enough to have no more setbacks after Christmas,” Nankervis said.
“That is the plan at the moment to get involved in the footy stuff after Christmas. I’m really confident the work that I’ve done over the past four or five weeks will hold me in good stead
“Although this year I had a few setbacks I was very fortunate that I got into the position I did at the end of the year and I am very grateful for that and looking forward to another big pre-season.”
Nankervis admitted there had been a time when he feared he might not get back to play a part in the Tigers’ flag tilt.
“You try not to think that but it is hard especially when you have little setbacks like I had,” Nankervis said.
“You come back to VFL games and feel a bit sore and played an AFL game and pulled up again sore. I suppose there is time where you think ‘Will it happen?’.
“But I was a very fortunate the way it worked out at the end and very grateful and fortunate to be part of an amazing group.”
Nankervis hailed the development of fellow ruck Ivan Soldo in his absence this year and hoped to build on their partnership next season.
But he predicted there would be more competition for spots in the ruck.
“He (Soldo) came on really well … I was absolutely rapt for him,” Nankervis said.
“Our ruck group at the moment has got Mabior Chol, Callum Coleman-Jones and Noah Balta and I think we all bring different strengths.
“There is not just Ivan and me … there is competition for spots there which is really healthy.”
Nankervis was confident the Tigers could take another step forward in 2020 to put themselves in the premiership frame again.
“Dimma has mentioned that our best footy is still in front of us and I think what we have seen this year with how many young guys that we have had come in through periods where we have had so many injuries is a real positive,” he said.
https://www.heraldsun.com.au/sport/afl/teams/richmond/richmond-ruckman-toby-nankervis-hopes-to-put-injury-worries-behind-him-and-lead-premiership-defence/news-story/b369327277b5da4a766e6d11a197efee
