Injury scare for Cockatoo

GEELONG is confident Nakia Cockatoo’s return to full training has not been set back by an injury scare at training yesterday morning.

The livewire left the training track at Deakin University after pulling up tight in his left calf.

The injury-prone midfielder was seen shaking his head to a club official after failing to complete a run-through in a rehab group.

Cockatoo, 22, is returning from a knee injury, but the Cats said they took a conservative approach in sending him from the track.

It is understood he is ahead of schedule in his bid to join the main training group before Christmas and the club does not see yesterday’s incident as a setback.

Cockatoo is also considering whether to have his tonsils removed after ongoing issues.

Geelong assistant coach Matthew Scarlett said he just wanted to see Cockatoo get a fair crack at injury-free training.

“I’d like him to be out here training. That would be good,” Scarlett said before any knowledge of yesterday’s scare.

“He’s just had some rotten luck and he’s one that we need to have a good pre-season and I think in time he’s going to be a really dominant on-baller for us.

“‘Knighta’ (midfield coach Matthew Knights) is going to really push that young group to come through and challenge Joel (Selwood) and Patty (Dangerfield) over the pre-season.”

Cockatoo played only two AFL games this year after suffering a knee injury in Round 3 against West Coast.

He then lasted only 10 minutes in his VFL comeback in July, injuring the same leg and missing the rest of the season.

Wylie Buzza (Lisfranc), Lachie Fogarty (adductor tightness) and Ryan Abbott (hamstring tendinitis) trained away from the main group again yesterday.