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Roos promised at the start
of the season to introduce
more youngsters, but many of
those earmarked for selection
have been injured.
Lewis Johnston (broken foot),
Irishman Brendan Murphy
(shoulder), Brett Meredith
(broken arm), Daniel Currie
(foot) and Heath Campbell
(knee reconstruction) have been
sidelined for long periods.
Michael O’Loughlin
recently confirmed
he would retire at the
end of the season,
with several others
nearing the end of their
tenures at the club
Last year, the Swans
introduced Bird, Smith,
Veszpremi, Brabazon, Jesse
White and Matt O’Dwyer, with
Meredith and Canadian Mike
Pyke debuting this season.
Veteran forwards Michael
O’Loughlin and Barry Hall
recently announced their
retirements, with several
others nearing the end of their
tenures at the club.
The Swans play Essendon at
the SCG this weekend for the
Marn Grook Trophy.
The clubs have competed
for this trophy, named after
the Aboriginal term for “game
ball”, since 2002.
N AT I O N A L C H A M P I O N S H I P S
WA dominates
under-18 team
A
A ndr ew WA l l ace
record nine West
Australians were picked in
the All-Australian team at the
end of this year’s NAB AFL
Under-18 Championships.
It was a fitting reward for the state
that dominated Division One and was
undefeated in its five games played across
the country, including the final round at
Docklands on July 1.
Attracting attention during the
championships were Vic Metro’s Tom
Scully, who is being slated by many
News tracker Skipper Sam Mitchell insists making the finals is still the Hawks’ focus.
16 AFL Record visit aflrecord.com.au
treatment will sit in a large atmospheric pressure, with
pressurised chamber wearing 100 per cent oxygen during
MEDICAL ROOM what is known as an oxygen hyperbaric oxygen treatment for
Increasing
hood, a transparent helmet sports injuries, oxygen dissolves
that is sealed at the neck. in blood plasma, increasing
oxygen
One hundred per cent the overall amount of oxygen
oxygen is pumped into the hood carried by the blood.
flow the
for the player to breathe while This increases the likelihood
relaxing in the chamber. of enough oxygen reaching
aim of
The normal concentration the injury site, with the hope
of oxygen in the atmosphere is of enhancing healing. When
chamber
about 21 per cent; the remainder using this form of treatment,
is about 78 per cent nitrogen and high standards of safety are
treatment
small amounts of other gases. vital, including control of the
Oxygen plays a key role in pressurisation and preventing
the healing of an injury but, the oxygen from igniting.
T
DR JODI R ICH A RDSON
under some circumstances, Originally used for treating
adequate oxygen may not carbon monoxide poisoning and
he widely publicised
use of a hyperbaric reach the injury site to divers suffering decompression
chamber by Carlton support the healing process, sickness (known as ‘the
spearhead Brendan a state known as hypoxia. At bends’), hyperbaric medicine
Fevola for a bruised heel earlier atmospheric pressure, oxygen is is constantly evolving and is
in the season highlighted the predominantly now a popular addition to the
extent AFL clubs will go to get carried by red blood cells. treatment of some common
their players back on the field as At nearly three times football injuries.
quickly as possible. One of the earliest cases
The use of hyperbaric of hyperbaric oxygen
oxygen therapy is treatment in football
another example of how was for an ankle injury
Illustration: Guy Shield/THE slattery media group
football’s medical and sustained by Carlton
sports science experts midfielder Fraser Brown
are providing players in the 1995 preliminary
with the best injury final against
treatments available. North Melbourne.
The treatment is not new It was considered a
in football but like any radical treatment for
medical therapy, scientific football at the time,
research has improved but Brown doesn’t recall
both protocols for its use Recovery it having a huge effect on his
mechanism: a typical recovery other than reducing
and its technology over hyperbaric chamber.
the years. A person some of the swelling.
undergoing hyperbaric “I think it was more
2009 UNDER-18 ALL-AUSTRALIAN TEAM
B Andrew Hooper (Vic C) Blayne Wilson (WA)
HB Josh Toy (Vic M) Daniel Talia (Vic M) David Swallow (WA)
C: Anthony Morabito (WA) Dustin Martin (Vic C)
Bradley Sheppard (WA)
Mitchell Duncan (WA)
HF Kane Lucas (WA) Jack Darling (WA) Gary Rohan (Vic C)
F Brandon Matera (WA) Matthew Panos (SA) Ben Cunnington (Vic C)
R James Craig (SA) Jack Trengove (SA) Tom Scully (Vic M)
I/C Luke Tapscott (SA), Ryan Harwood (Tas), Dylan McNeil (NSW/ACT), Travis Colyer (WA)
Coach Andrew Lockyer (WA) Assistant coach Brenton Phillips (SA)
as this year’s No. 1 pick in the NAB Division Two – and Tasmania’s
AFL Draft, and Vic Country’s pocket Ryan Harwood also slotted into the
dynamo Andrew Hooper and Western All-Australian squad.
Australia’s David Swallow (brother As an indicator of the prospects of those
of North Melbourne’s Andrew), who selected in the team, it is worth noting that
shared the Larke Medal for the best 15 youngsters from the 2008 team have
player in Division One. already debuted at AFL level, including
Dylan McNeil from NSW/ACT – recipient North Melbourne’s Jack Ziebell and Daniel
of the Harrison Medal for the best player in Rich from the Brisbane Lions.
propaganda to convince the
coach (that Brown would
be OK to play in the Grand
Final). I put on the oxygen
suit and spent about an hour
in a pressurised chamber in
the trauma unit of the Alfred
Hospital every morning in the
week leading up to the game.”
Brown said his ankle was
heavily taped and he received
local painkilling injections before
training and before the Grand
Final to help him get through.
He said he felt claustrophobic
with a hood over his head and
sharing a pressurised chamber
a bit bigger than a station wagon
with other hospital patients
including a couple of divers.
He experienced the common
side effect of increased pressure
in his ears, similar to that felt
when taking off or landing in
a pressurised plane.
Brown also described how
the experience made him
nauseous enough on a couple
of occasions to have to leave
the chamber and end the
session. This is also a common
side effect of the treatment.
Brown said the best advantage
from the treatment was the
psychological edge it gave him
about his ankle’s rehabilitation.
Research has shown that use
of hyperbaric oxygen therapy
is beneficial in the treatment
of burns, ulcers, crush injuries,
carbon monoxide poisoning, air
embolism and decompression
sickness, to name a few ailments.
FEEL EVERY BUMP.
HEAR IT LIKE YOU’RE IN IT.
3AW is football. Tune in to four quarters of all-star broadcast with Rex Hunt, Dennis Cometti, Tony Leonard and Shane Healy at 3AW 693.
W H E N T H E Y ’ R E N O T P L AY I N G . . .
If I had to describe
What makes Favourite band
Player myself in one word,
you laugh? or musician:
it would be:
Daniel
Giansiracusa Lindsay Gilbee’s Arctic
Competitive
(Western look-alikes Monkeys
Bulldogs)
Jarred Teammates Ed Barlow
Moore and Paul Bevan –
Short
just watching them
Kings of Leon
(Sydney
Swans) makes me laugh
Alipate
Carlile Marlon
Happy Motlop’s Chris Brown
(Port dancing
Adelaide)
Justin Comedians
Sherman Russell Brand
Outgoing Matchbox 20
(Brisbane and Carl Barron
Lions) – very funny guys
aspects of this type of treatment
cannot be underestimated.
Players want to feel like no stone has been left “Players want to feel like no
unturned when it comes to treating an injury stone has been left unturned
Adelaide’s physical performance manager, STEPHEN SCHWERDT
when it comes to treating an
Football clubs are interested football, if there is a treatment injury,” he said.
in the use of hyperbaric oxygen that may help a player such as Schwerdt said the Crows take
therapy and its potential for the Fevola get back on the field a straight-forward approach to
treatment of muscle, tendon faster, many clubs will jump at it. injury rehabilitation: they will
and ligament injuries as it is Cost tends not to be a great try anything as long as it is not
considered to reduce swelling, consideration under these going to do any harm. He said
prevent infection, reduce pain circumstances and, even if the it is difficult to know exactly
and promote healing. treatment provides only a placebo how effective a treatment like
Though the effectiveness effect, for some injuries that could hyperbaric oxygen therapy
of hyperbaric oxygen therapy be considered a success. is in rehabilitating an injury.
for sports injuries makes it Former Adelaide player “There are so many variables
attractive, its value is not Stephen Schwerdt, now the club’s that contribute to helping heal
supported by published research. physical performance manager, an injury,” he said. “Though
However, in sports such as explained that the psychological con t in u ed ne x t page
AFL Record visit aflrecord.com.au 17