Untitled - Norwood Football Club

Co
C
A year can be a long time in football. Just ask Alex Stopp
– Norwood’s courageous key defender.
After rupturing his anterior cruciate ligament at preseason
training in early 2011, Alex was forced to
undergo a full knee reconstruction. ‘I remember the
incident well’, he recalled. ‘I was in front position for
a contest. I jumped for the mark and got caught a
little off balance. When I landed, my leg hit the ground
straight and locked in – this motion caused my knee to
hyperextend, which tore the cruciate ligament in my left
knee.’
A traumatic experience for any footballer, Alex underwent
all the emotions one would expect from a player on the
verge of regular League football. When asked to describe
the feeling upon realizing he would be missing for 12
months, one word came to mind.
Shock. ‘It’s one of those things
that you think won’t ever happen to
you.’ Naturally, negative thoughts
began to creep; however Alex was
not deterred. ‘It’s one of those
things that comes with playing sport,
and in particular football’, he said.
‘My family and team mates were
extremely supportive and helped me
look forward. Obviously it was very frustrating, due to the
nature of the injury. The fact that I was going to be out
for so long, and that it can be difficult to stay involved at
times.’
After the disappointment sank in, Alex began his rigorous
road to recovery. Shortly after the initial incident and
diagnosis, he was booked in for surgery. ‘I had the
knee operated on in late January. From there, the main
focus was getting my knee to bend again and to reduce
the swelling post surgery.’ Anyone who has undergone
knee surgery understands the tedious process involved
in returning to top-level sport. Alex’s case was no
exception, ‘after about 5 months of leg straightening
and strengthening exercises, I was finally able to run,
albeit slowly on a treadmill!’ While most people take for
granted the simple process of going for a jog, Stopp felt
liberated. ‘Those first couple of months (post surgery)
were the most difficult for me. The slow, repetitive pace
of the rehabilitation and movement of my knee was most
frustrating. My knee was still pretty sore and swollen,
and at times it felt everything was taking so long before I
After about 5 months of leg
straightening and strengthening
exercises, I was finally able to run,
albeit slowly on a treadmill!
even saw the slightest improvement.’
Although not being able to play the game he loved
caused much agony, his time-off allowed him to pursue
other interests. ‘After the initial incident and following
my surgery, I had a really strong urge to travel. I had
always wanted to travel overseas, but as other players
would know it can be difficult to fit in with football
commitments. I knew I was going to miss the year; I
felt like it was an opportunity to fulfill that urge.’ After
much deliberation, Alex packed his bags and headed
to Europe for just over two months. ‘I had some great
experiences, although the highlight for me was visiting
Berlin. It is such an interesting place with a unique, albeit
scary history.’ By the time he arrived back in Australia,
he was refreshed and ready to tackle the last part of his
rehabilitation.
Fast forward to March 2012; the
Norwood Football Club has just
completed its summer training series
before the start of the SANFL
season. For Alex, he has so far
successfully completed all that is
required of him to play League
football in 2012. ‘I feel really
good now’, he said. ‘Over the past
month of training my confidence
(in my knee) has come back. It doesn’t really cross my
mind anymore.’ For anyone who has been through the
reconstruction process, the mental battle is often the
toughest. ‘Once I was given the all clear (to resume
competitive training) by the doctor and the physio, I have
been all ‘go’.
With season 2012 fast approaching, Alex is cautious
about the expectations of his comeback year. ‘My goals
are to play consistent footy, continue to work on the
areas (of my game) I need to and be patient. Ultimately,
I crave team success. I will be doing all that I can to help
the League side in its push for a premiership’.
After the past 12 months, and his return to football
imminent, Stopp is philosophical about his journey. He
remains steadfast that the whole episode has contributed
to strengthening his resolve – ‘It has definitely taught me
to have patience and to keep persevering. Some things
don’t happen overnight, particularly my knee. It was an
ongoing process, but I am finally ready to go.’
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