MENZEL BACKS INJURED NINA
Morrison can overcome knee hell: ex-Cat
FORMER Geelong forward Daniel Menzel has backed the Cats’ medical team to give Nina Morrison the best chance of fulfilling her career after her devastating knee injury.
Morrison will require season-ending surgery after scans confirmed she ruptured her anterior cruciate ligament in the Cats’ loss to North Melbourne on Friday night.
It is the same knee the 19year-old former No.1 draft pick had reconstructed only 12 months ago.
Menzel said Morrison should believe she could return to have a successful career despite two knee reconstructions, potentially even becoming a better player than she is now.
The injury has devastated the Cats playing group as they rally around one of their most popular and talented teammates.
Menzel — who made a successful comeback from four knee reconstructions, including three on his left leg — yesterday said Morrison would be provided every chance to get back.
“It definitely would be a challenge for her — at such a young age — to get her head around what’s happened mentally,” Menzel told the Geelong Advertiser.
“What she will have at her disposal is obviously such a really good medical team. The Geelong guys know exactly what they’re doing.
“She’ll have very good care in terms of mentally and physically but for it to happen again … it’s pretty shattering for her.”
Menzel said he would be happy to lend advice to Morrison in her comeback.
“One or two ACLs, although they are bad, you can certainly come back from them and come back a better player,” he said. “It’s when you get into the longer term impacts and you’re having your third, fourth (reconstruction) and starting to really bite into your career.”
FEW know Nina Morrison’s pain like former Cat Daniel Menzel.
Menzel was watching Friday night’s AFLW game when Morrison went down with a second ruptured anterior cruciate ligament.
The sharpshooter underwent four knee reconstructions during his 80-game AFL career with Geelong and Sydney.
Menzel said Morrison’s injury resonated with him.
“You do straight away feel for them but the unfortunate part is it’s part of the game,” Menzel said.
“I think with Nina, I look at her and go, ‘She’s got the footy world ahead of her, she’s obviously a talented young girl and I did mine at such a young age as well’.
“That’s probably what you feel for them and certainly what you can understand … you just want that crack or that person to have that go at it.
“That’s probably the part that’s really going to be challenging for her that she’s again going have to wait and watch everyone else progress.”
Menzel said Morrison’s rehab would be similar to her first but her recovery may take longer to avoid another recurrence in an attempt to make her as “bulletproof” as possible.
The former No.1 draft pick suffered her first ACL during training early last season.
“It definitely would be a challenge for her — at such a young age — to get her head around what’s happened mentally,” he said.
“What she will have at her disposal is obviously such a really good medical team. The Geelong guys know exactly what they’re doing.
“She’ll have very good care in terms of mentally and physically but for it to happen again … it’s pretty shattering for her.”
Geelong confirmed on Saturday that Morrison, 19, would miss another 12 months after she ruptured the ACL graft in her right knee against North Melbourne.
Menzel said he would be happy to lend advice to Morrison in her comeback.
“One or two ACLs, although they are bad, you can certainly come back from them and come back a better player, it’s when you get into the longer term impacts and you’re having your third, fourth (reconstruction) and starting to really bite into your career,” he said.