Weller’s mystery illness
The pre-season horror that has plagued Suns star ever since
SUNS halfback Lachie Weller has revealed an off-season international surf trip left him hospitalised going into a 2019 AFL campaign interrupted by injury for the first time.
Weller has been a beacon of health throughout his career, playing 66 games straight between 2016 and 2018 across Fremantle and Gold Coast.
But a trip of a lifetime to Sumatra last October began a strange period for the 23-yearold. Weller went on a search for a surf spot with teammates Touk Miller and Harrison Wigg but became incredibly ill upon his arrival home.
“I ended up in hospital,” Weller said ahead of Saturday’s trip to Sydney.
“I got some sort of tropical bug and lost a heap of kilos. I was struggling. As soon as I got my heart rate up I got real dizzy and couldn’t train.
“They were pretty tough conditions. It was a search basically. We wanted to go somewhere remote with not many people and find some waves.
“We did find some really good waves but it came at a cost and probably wasn’t worth it.”
Weller had his second setback when he hurt his hamstring two days before the Round 4 game against Carlton.
“It’s been a bit strange,” Weller said. “It was in our main session before we played Carlton. The ball got over the back and I was chasing down Rischa (Michael Rischitelli).
“When I was about to tackle him I lunged and felt it go. I have never been in the rehab group so it was all new.
“I was like a first-year learning about my body because I hadn’t had anything wrong with me before.
“I have never had a softtissue injury at all.”
Weller missed four games because of the injury but since returning in Round 8 he has played six games straight.