WHILE he won’t be playing in Hawthorn’s opening NAB Cup hit out on Saturday night, Captain Luke Hodge remains confident he will be fit for the start of the 2013 season.
The Hawks captain had a frustrating 2012, battling calf and knee injuries that restricted him to just 10 matches for the year.
Despite returning to lead his side in the latter stages of the year, including through its finals campaign, Hodge underwent post-season surgery on the troublesome knee that sidelined him for 10 weeks.
The rehabilitation from knee surgery restricted the start of his pre-season, but the 28 year old says his knee and his body are in good condition as the season edges closer.
“The knee is going really well, I guess now it’s just putting a bit of conditioning into the legs so when I do get back into the intensity of AFL football I’m not susceptible to soft tissue injuries,” he told hawthornfc.com.au
“It’s a frustrating time when you see all the boys playing but I’ve got to push through and make sure the body is right when I play.”
Despite external concerns over his body, the Hawks skipper says there’s a distinct difference between his injuries and the injuries that can impact the durability of an AFL footballer.
Hodge is confident in his body and its reaction to the workload over pre-season – revealing it has responded well to the rigors of another long summer.
“There’s difference between wear and tear and impact injuries,” he said.
“Last year the knee was an impact injury in Round 6 and the PCL’s obviously take a long time to heal.
“I’ve got through and I’ve done everything the physios have asked of my knee and the surgeon is rapt with how it’s going.
“Now, it’s about training the rest of the body to withstand a full season of AFL footy.”
With Hawthorn’s Easter Monday blockbuster against Geelong now just over a month away, Hodge says he will ramp up his preparation.
He says getting miles into his legs is the priority, but won’t be rushing his return date despite the hunger to compete.
“The running is the most important part, your body is naturally conditioned to do skills. I’ve just got to get the miles in the legs,” he said.
“You’ve got to wait and see and see how the fitness tank is, it’s totally different – a game and training,” he said.
“You feel really good while you’re running around the boundary but once you’re in a game situation it’s so different.”
One of Hawthorn’s elite players with ball in hand, Hodge says he’ll be working hard too, to ensure his foot skills are at the level expected by his teammates and coaches when he does make his return.
“When you get the ball, the kicking obviously comes back naturally to you, it’s more when you’re under fatigue, that’s why you do session after session in the pre-season,” he said.
“So when you do get fatigued your body is still able to hit those kicks when you’re probably not thinking like you do when you’re fresh.
“I guess that’s what the hard yards are about and I’m going to be pushing myself over the next few weeks to get ready for the start of the season.”
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