Molloy Article H/S 17/02/2003 (mark 2)

[Pies_Chat]

Pies powerhouse tackles 2003 with a refreshed......


BODY AND SOUL


Grey rather than Black and White was the predominant colour
in Jarrod Molloy's rocky football life last year.

It reflected his mood and predicament during what should have
been an exhilarating ride with Collingwood right to that last Saturday in September.

Now he's nearly back on track to put the painand frustration behind him and reboot an AFL career too often interrupted by injuries.

Torn hamstrings in both legs and then a broken toe from a bizarre mishap so frustrated his 2002 season that any match time now is savoured with the enthusiasm of a rookie.

The powerhouse forward was excited just to be involved in a scratch match at Telstra Stadium in Sydney this month before the Magpie players went to the Davis Cup tie.

"It's just a matter of getting confidence in the body and the rest - the skills and touch - will come with time and training," he said.

Understandably, Molloy is cautious with his approach less than a month into his delayed preparation, after surgery to repair a broken toe in his left foot that he nursed through last year's fractured season.

While the Hamstring ailments were well documented, only those close to Collingwood realised the torment of the busted toe, which required pain-killing injections to keep him on the field.

"I only really started running after christmas," Molloy said.
"The bone hadn't healed and it was floating, so they removed the fragments and fixed up the ligaments."
"I'm only really three weeks back into it, but it's going OK. I had a pretty ordinary year and I'm just keen to have an injury free year, try to get out there as much as possible."

MolloY, out of contract at the end of the season, praised teammate Paul Licuria, conditioning coach David Buttifant and Pies boxing coach Michael Digina for preserving his sanity as much as spirit.

"I was lucky when I was doing the rehab," he said
"Paul, who works exceptionally hard, was pushing me, and David and Michael helped me get through that, because it'sso mentally taxing and very difficult to keep up the motivation when you're not involved on the field."
"They certainly helped in that area. They work you hard and, at the end of the day, I got a lot out of it working with Paul., because he takes the intensity up to another level."
"I tried my hardest to stay with him, and I'm sure I'll benefit from that."

All the more frustrating for Molloy, runner-up in the 2001 Copeland Trophy, was the fact he was fit and ready to fire last season.

"I had a really good pre-season. I felt I was the fittest I've ever been. I did my left hamstring in a training session just after
christmas, missed two months and that wasn't too bad. Then I came back and played a practise match against Fremantle in Perth and tore my right hamstring." he recalled.

"I was out for eight weeks. I came back against the Bulldogs in round 7 and that's when I broke my toe. I played the next couple of weeks with injections."

Molloy. 26. landed awkwardly and "something snapped" when his left foot twisted in the boot on the firm Telstra Dome turf.

"It didn't get any better and I wasn't able to play a full game." he said.
"I tried to giving it a break, but it never healed for the rest of the year. It got bearable where I could play without injections. But, unfortunately, coming back through Williamston I hurt my knee (medial ligament) and missed another four weeks. It was a battle after that."

Molloy was a controversial Grand Final selection and he can tell you exact game time - eight minutes - that added a forgettable postscript to a shocking season.

"Obviously, it was a sensational effort by the boys and the club and I'm particularly pleased about that, but personally it wasn't the greatest experience." he said.

"It makes you more determined to get back out there. It has been a long time. You don't want to finish on the note I did last year."

"My role is probably similar to when I started down here; somewhere on the forward line, try to keep the ball in and put pressure on the backmen, use my strength. Nothing will change there, I can't really play any other way."

He doesn't want to change; he just wants the chance to do what he does best.

[This message has been edited by Pies_Chat (edited 17 February 2003).]

[Pies_Chat]

1

[This message has been edited by Pies_Chat (edited 18 February 2003).]

[d9 tank]

great article and very encouraging, especially after his good intra club performance. Fantastic to hear Lica giving him such great help, you couldnt ask for a better bloke than Paul to be down at the club.

It sounds like the fire is burning more than ever in Jarrod after his GF effort. I forgot how unlucky he was last year with one injury after the other, so lets just pray that he stays injury free this season and regains his form of 2001, cant wait to see him out on the field!

[MagpieMad]

Give em heaps Molloy!!!



MagpieMad
http://magpiemad.magpies.net/

[d9 tank]

care to shed some light on MMs words of wisdom Tess?

[STOKA35]

we need him fit and firing good luck

[molloymagic]

I actually bought the Herald Sun yesterday not knowing this article was in the paper(as it wasn't highlighted in the sports bit like all it said was 'afl - something about the swans vs dons match' and i don;t usually buy this paper. so imagine my surprise when i turned the page and saw this article. Best damn article i have read in a while. I also got my members 2003 hat in the mail yesterday so it was a bit of a magpies day*s*.

Go get 'em Molloy!!!!!!!.

Jarrod Molloy RULES!!!!
*2003:The beginning of molloy's injury free footy seasons,here's to many more games played by molloy.*
*2002,2003 Joint V.C*

[Pies Premiers 2003]

We need the D9 out there...FIT....if he can stay injury free...our other forwards will reap the rewards...

KICK IT TOO MOLLLLLLOOOOOYYYYYY

THE PIES GO MARCHING ON