Injured Tiger back on track
17 October 2006 Herald-Sun
Daryl Timms
WHEN Chris Newman heard the snap of breaking bone he didn't know if it was his or that of opponent Leon Davis.
The Richmond defender had collided with Collingwood's Davis when he attempted to kick the ball off the ground during the Round 13 clash at the MCG.
As he lay on the ground, Newman tried to move his leg but nothing happened. His foot was pointing the other way and then the pain and shock set in.
The injury was compared to teammate Nathan Brown's sickening injury in 2005 when he also snapped his lower leg against Melbourne.
Like Brown, Newman had surgery to insert a rod in his tibia and had his fractured fibula re-aligned.
If he can call himself lucky, Newman suffered a clean break compared to Brown whose leg shattered, leaving bone fragments and ligament damage.
While his teammates are still on annual leave, Newman has voluntarily returned to Punt Rd early as he aims to play in the opening round of the season.
"The leg is coming along really well and it starts off well at the start of the week but as the week goes on it gets a little bit sorer," he said yesterday.
"The conditioning staff have told me I'm two months ahead of Browny at the same stage but he wants the world to know that his break was a little bit worse.
"We broke the same bones but mine was cleaner while his was a lot messier."
Newman will play next season with the rod, which was inserted down through his knee into the middle of his leg, still in place.
"The rod is secured at the top with a screw which will also stay in for the rest of the season," Newman said.
"I really can't feel the rod, but with change of direction work I can probably feel it a little bit.
"The aim is to be training fully by Christmas and that's providing there are no setbacks and I'll be pushing to be playing a few practice games.
"But I'm not going to rush it, I've got plenty of time."
Newman said Brown, who had the rod removed from his leg in August when his season ended with a hamstring injury, has offered plenty of advice.
He revealed that he still wonders why he didn't dive on the ball rather than attempt to kick if off the ground.
"I lay in bed some nights thinking why I tried to kick if off the ground," he said.
http://www.heraldsun.news.com.au/footy/common/story_page/0,8033,20593776%255E19742,00.html
