Tiger Mark Coughlan home with home
Bruce Matthews | June 02, 2008
RICHMOND midfielder Mark Coughlan is back in Melbourne after radical treatment in Germany to try to salvage his career. Coughlan returned home yesterday morning to resume rehabilitation for a chronic hamstring ailment.
The 26-year-old spent more than two weeks with a soft-tissue specialist at his clinic in Munich.
Coughlan's quest to return following successive knee reconstruction operations have been thwarted by persistent strained hamstrings.
The problem flared again during a practice match at the Punt Road Oval three weeks ago, only days after he had made a tentative but seemingly successful return with VFL affiliate Coburg Tigers.
Richmond's 2003 best and fairest winner has not played an AFL game since round 12, 2006.
After major surgery forced him out for the rest of that year, he reinjured the knee during pre-season training and had to sit out 2007.
Coughlan decided to try the German option and Richmond is helping to finance the trip and treatment.
The specialist, Dr Hans-Wilhelm Muller-Wohlfarth, successfully treated Geelong's Max Rooke for a severe hamstring injury, enabling him to play in the Cats' premiership team.
The specialist's often unconventional treatments, such as injecting animal fluids to help repair muscles, have also assisted the recovery of soccer superstars Ronaldo and Michael Owen.
http://www.news.com.au/heraldsun/sport/afl/story/0,26576,23794384-19742,00.html
