Promising defender Daniel Talia says he’s confident revolutionary surgery will repair a long-standing Achilles injury that almost ruined his 2011 season.
Talia developed an inflamed Achilles in February and missed the opening two months of the season.
After the injury failed to heal with rest, the 20-year-old decided to push through the pain and play with it.
He succeeded, making his long-awaited debut against the Sydney Swans in round 15 and playing the remaining eight games.
However, the pain in his Achilles worsened and it was decided post-season surgery was the best option.
Talia had to wait until October to have the cutting-edge procedure, which is believed to have been the first of its kind in Australia.
“I got the operation done a bit later in the break because the surgeon, who performs it, was in Holland,” Talia told afc.com.au.
“It was a new procedure … I think I might’ve been the first person in Australia to get it done.
“I didn’t ask too many questions, but I think there was a muscle caught in the heel that was causing me pain and tendonitis.
“The surgeon released that and I’m pretty much pain-free now.
“I’m almost four weeks post-op and I’m walking around fine and getting close to being able to start running.
“My ankle’s a bit weak because I haven’t done much work on it, but I’ll build that up over the next couple of weeks and then I should be okay to run.
“Hopefully, it’ll be a bit better for me next year than it was this year.”
A composed shut-down defender, Talia impressed when he was called upon to bolster the Club’s depleted big man stocks in the latter part of the season.
The former first-round draft pick’s performance was remarkable given the injury.
“I wasn’t 100 per cent last season … I had the injury all year,” he said.
“I took a punt mid-year and I played with it, but it got sorer as the games went on and I wasn’t able to run, sprint or jump as well as I could’ve otherwise.
“In some respects, it was probably good I had to play with the injury.
“It took a bit of pressure off my performance at least in my own mind because I was just worried about getting out there week to week and keeping my foot right.”
Talia will remain on a modified training program until Christmas and, despite impressing in a key-defensive post last season, faces opposition to replace Greater Western Sydney recruit Phil Davis at centre half-back permanently.
Former rookie Luke Thompson and trade week pick-up Lewis Johnston are also vying for the vacant spot, but Talia said he was determined to make it his own.
“It was a real thrill to play the last nine games and get a taste in my second year after missing a lot of my first season with [a knee] injury,” he said.
“I was pretty close mates with Phil.
“He taught me a lot and I’ll miss him, but he’s gone and there’s a spot open now.
“I’ve got to recover from my injury well and then show something out on the track to convince ‘Sando’ [coach Brenton Sanderson] to give me a crack at it.”
As the Crows prepare for season 2012 on the track, be sure to visit 19thman.com.au and renew or join the Club for 2012.
