Western Bulldogs star Adam Cooney admits he will never regain his best form

[G-Mo77]

http://resources2.news.com.au/images/2012/04/17/1226329/989942-adam-cooney.jpg

BROWNLOW medallist Adam Cooney accepts that he will never regain his best form but is confident he can play a productive part in the re-bulding of the Western Bulldogs.

Cooney, who won football's highest honour in 2008 but has struggled with a right knee ailment since, said at training today that he was just getting his fitness back but realised the injury would force a change in expectations from himself, within the club and, notably, from fans.

"I am probably not going to get back to my best," he said.

"I know the expectations on me but if I play my bit for the team that is all I can expect," the 26 year old said.

"I know my own expectations have changed. The most challenging thing is that I haven't been able to get continuity in training and I am not as fit as I was in 2008, 09.

"A couple of times (this season) I could have taken the game on more instead of a quick kick or handball," he said reflecting on his lack of fitness, not confidence.

Cooney nevertheless was one of the Bulldogs best with 23 disposals in the dismal showing against St Kilda at Etihad Stadium last Saturday night, when the Dogs booted three goals in the dying minutes of the game to muster only five for the game in the 63 point loss.

Cooney said the players were still learning the game plan under new coach Brendan McCartney but needed to improve, especially this week against Melbourne.

"The pressure is on everyone. It is a massive game for both clubs, yet to win a game and under new coaches."

He said the frustration of the team's inadequacies against St Kilda got the better of full-back Brian Lake.

"It was disappointing. He let the frustration get to him and he knew he did wrong," Cooney said.

Lake today accepted a one week sanction for striking Saint Tom Simpkin during the final quarter.

http://www.heraldsun.com.au/afl/more-news/western-bulldogs-star-adam-cooney-is-confident-he-can-play-a-role-in-the-clubs-rebuilding/story-e6frf9jf-1226329999496

[angelopetraglia]

I know we have known this for some time. It feels like we have been robbed.

It is very sad. He won the Brownlow when he was 22. At 26 he should be at the peak of his powers.

If he continued to improve on what he put up in 2008 he would be in the absolute elite, if not the best player in the league. How good could have Adam Cooney been?

The other thing we will never know. How much closer could have we got in 2009 and 2010 with a fit and firing Adam Cooney.

[comrade]

I know we have known this for some time. It feels like we have been robbed.

It is very sad. He won the Brownlow when he was 22. At 26 he should be at the peak of his powers.

If he continued to improve on what he put up in 2008 he would be in the absolute elite, if not the best player in the league. How good could have Adam Cooney been?

The other thing we will never know. How much closer could have we got in 2009 and 2010 with a fit and firing Adam Cooney.

You've got to love being a Bulldogs supporter :o

[Grantysghost]

Does anyone else question his mental application. Seems like a cop out to me..... Yeah I'm finished, don't expect too much.
I don't doubt the injury, just think some others wouldn't be giving themselves an out. That's twice this year I've read this. Extreme example but Joel Selwood would keep going with a leg amputated.

[Dancin' Douggy]

Does anyone else question his mental application. Seems like a cop out to me..... Yeah I'm finished, don't expect too much.
I don't doubt the injury, just think some others wouldn't be giving themselves an out. That's twice this year I've read this. Extreme example but Joel Selwood would keep going with a leg amputated.

Very unfair in my opinion.

[Topdog]

Does anyone else question his mental application. Seems like a cop out to me..... Yeah I'm finished, don't expect too much.
I don't doubt the injury, just think some others wouldn't be giving themselves an out. That's twice this year I've read this. Extreme example but Joel Selwood would keep going with a leg amputated.

TO use the Selwood example Cooney is still going. He simply hasn't got and will never regain (literally impossible for him to do) his burst speed which was what made him such a great player.

[Mantis]

Does anyone else question his mental application. Seems like a cop out to me..... Yeah I'm finished, don't expect too much.
I don't doubt the injury, just think some others wouldn't be giving themselves an out. That's twice this year I've read this. Extreme example but Joel Selwood would keep going with a leg amputated.

That's a very simplistic view.... And I doubt very much that Joel would be able to keep on going with one leg.

[AndrewP6]

Does anyone else question his mental application. Seems like a cop out to me..... Yeah I'm finished, don't expect too much.
I don't doubt the injury, just think some others wouldn't be giving themselves an out. That's twice this year I've read this. Extreme example but Joel Selwood would keep going with a leg amputated.

Really unfair, I'm 200% certain Adam would turn back time or 'fix' the knee if he could.

[AndrewP6]

That's a very simplistic view.... And I doubt very much that Joel would be able to keep on going with one leg.

He'd lose balance after kicking, for a start. ;)

[westdog54]

He'd lose balance after kicking, for a start. ;)

Actually, when I think about it I'd back him to stay upright.

My take on it is this: He's acknowledged that he'll never be as good as he was, that he'll always be limited. Plenty of players have retired in their mid 20's in the same circumstance. While its admirable to think that he'll put himself before that I'd hate to think that by trying to do the right thing by the Bulldog faithful, there will come a day where his knee will be so badly shot he won't be able to run around in the park with his son and daughters.

[The Bulldogs Bite]

While its admirable to think that he'll put himself before that I'd hate to think that by trying to do the right thing by the Bulldog faithful, there will come a day where his knee will be so badly shot he won't be able to run around in the park with his son and daughters.

Or heaven forbid, use an esky lid to ski down the road on his knees! :D

[Grantysghost]

My point is I feel psychology he may have already given up to a degree. Twice this year he has publicly stated he's never getting back to his idea of his best, so if he fails to achieve anything then, oh well, i told you so, im stuffed. If the injury is that debilitating then he shouldn't be playing. At this level if your off by a few percent then your left behind. I was watching him closely at the game on Saturday night, he has no second efforts, spends alot of time on the ground and basically looks disinterested or more likely disheartened. It must be very frustrating for him. However personally after enduring seven losing prelims live coupled with the rapid realisation of another two or three seasons down the bottom, my sympathy levels are very very low. Cant play at your best then the best thing for the team is to move on. Hope he proves me wrong.

[AndrewP6]

My point is I feel psychology he may have already given up to a degree. Twice this year he has publicly stated he's never getting back to his idea of his best, so if he fails to achieve anything then, oh well, i told you so, im stuffed. If the injury is that debilitating then he shouldn't be playing. At this level if your off by a few percent then your left behind. I was watching him closely at the game on Saturday night, he has no second efforts, spends alot of time on the ground and basically looks disinterested or more likely disheartened. It must be very frustrating for him. However personally after enduring seven losing prelims live coupled with the rapid realisation of another two or three seasons down the bottom, my sympathy levels are very very low. Cant play at your best then the best thing for the team is to move on. Hope he proves me wrong.

No offence but I think your view of Adam is extremely cynical (and I'm a confirmed cynic!). and quite frankly, way off the mark. Where did you get the impression that he'd one day say "oh well, told you so, I'm stuffed"??? I can't disagree more about the bolded bit -if you're looking for disinterested, look at Jarrad Grant's recent efforts (he was a bit better this past week). Coons to me comes across as the sort of guy who'd give anything to get rid of the knee ailment that has curtailed his output. And whilst his output is different to '08-09, when he gets the ball, he can make things happen. I'll take that for as long as he's able.

[boydogs]

I tend to agree with Grantysghost.

I have knee problems myself, it can get very frustrating as the more you train, the worse it gets, so you think can never do the work to get where you want to be.

What it means though is that you need to be extra determined to cross train and be disciplined with when you do and don't do weight bearing exercise. Cooney seems to keep lamenting his lack of fitness, he needs to take his swimming/cycling/boxing to the next level instead of obsessing over not being able to run all day every day.

He needs to be on a permanently modified program, but believe in himself and understand that there is more than one way to reach elite fitness.

[G-Mo77]

Such a shame, as mentioned he should be in his prime right now. It's not just devastating for us as supporters but for Coons as well. :(

[Jeanette54]

I think its about time that Adam looked to some of the greats from the past for inspiration.

I am old enough (damnit) to remember watching Teddy Whitten deal with the advancing years and how his game changed to deal with his aging body.

The amount of times he actually handled the ball during a game diminished over time; but the quality of his possessions, and the outcomes he generated continued to make him the most valuable player in the team.

Granted the game has changed, but Adam is coming off a higher level of fitness, so I guess the baseline is about the same.

Adam may have lost some of his physical prowess, but he has not lost his ability or his "football brain".

It will be most interesting to see how he will adapt his game to cope with his injury.

But he will require a coaching staff that acknowledges his changed status, and is prepared to allow him to contribute to the team effort in a different way.

Perhaps a spell at full forward even, heaven knows we are not blessed with a ready made replacement for Barry.

[chef]

Does anyone else question his mental application. Seems like a cop out to me..... Yeah I'm finished, don't expect too much.
I don't doubt the injury, just think some others wouldn't be giving themselves an out. That's twice this year I've read this. Extreme example but Joel Selwood would keep going with a leg amputated.

He's just being honest to me.

[wb_age]

@Adam0017 (Adam Cooney's twitter)
Sports reports making it sound like I'll never play well again!! When I said I probably won't get back to my best all I meant was...

@Adam0017
I probably won't win another brownlow! Still plenty of good footy left in me dogs fans.



ENOUGH SAID. Now let the man be.

[DragzLS1]

He could have been a triple brownlow medal winner!!!! He is dedicated and it would be very frustrating with that kind of injury! I think Adam will contribute as much as he can physically but his skills and football brain will be valuable on the pitch with all the young guys around him and our lack of penetrating kicks ect.. Just happy to see him play week in week out :)

[Grantysghost]

@Adam0017 (Adam Cooney's twitter)
Sports reports making it sound like I'll never play well again!! When I said I probably won't get back to my best all I meant was...

@Adam0017
I probably won't win another brownlow! Still plenty of good footy left in me dogs fans.



ENOUGH SAID. Now let the man be.

Maybe Adam needs some more media training. When asked the question, how about saying im obviously 100% fit or I wouldn't be playing. No story in that.

Coming on the back of an article pleading for 8000 lapsed members to sign back up, I think the club would be very unhappy with his amatuerish handling of the media. Those vacillating about re-signing may read the paper this morning and decide against it.

Tweeting to a small audience doesn't make up for saying he's past his best at 26 to an audience of millions. Maybe he should give Lenny Hayes or David Rodan a call for some advice.

[Mantis]

Maybe he should give Lenny Hayes or David Rodan a call for some advice.

Considering the ailment Adam has is completely different to the injuries these 2 had would this serve any purpose?

[Ghost Dog]

Greg Williams, Peter Knights, Andrew McCloud
The list of AFL players who played on and had successful careers despite injury is long. It limited their game but didn't stop them being damaging. No use crying over spilt milk. And maybe, just maybe, forcing him to give off the ball rather than run and carry is going to suit the style of the new coach.

[LostDoggy]

The way i see it is that he won't get back to the consistent elite performances that seen him win the brownlow and be judged as a top 5 player in the comp.

However, with some continuity in training and playing he can still perform at a high level and be a very good player for us.

In that interview he also stated his knee isn't swelling after gameday anymore which is a positive sign that himself and the medical team have figured out a good way to manage it.

COONS AINT DONE WITH YET!

[Grantysghost]

Considering the ailment Adam has is completely different to the injuries these 2 had would this serve any purpose?

Handling the media and being positive. I never mentioned they had the same injuries.

[LostDoggy]

I looked at the article and didnt see a man giving up......I saw a man about to have no pressure on him and about to explode. ;) Its time Adam.

[ledge]

Choco Royal did okay, I believe he had 2 knee recos before he even started VFL/AFL

[AndrewP6]

Maybe Adam needs some more media training. When asked the question, how about saying im obviously 100% fit or I wouldn't be playing. No story in that.

No truth in it either.


Coming on the back of an article pleading for 8000 lapsed members to sign back up, I think the club would be very unhappy with his amatuerish handling of the media. Those vacillating about re-signing may read the paper this morning and decide against it.

Unhappy with him being honest? I doubt it.


Tweeting to a small audience doesn't make up for saying he's past his best at 26 to an audience of millions. Maybe he should give Lenny Hayes or David Rodan a call for some advice.

He's got nearly 9000 followers on Twitter, any/all of them can re-tweet stuff he puts out, to all those following their tweets. Social media makes the world a much smaller place.

[AndrewP6]

What it means though is that you need to be extra determined to cross train and be disciplined with when you do and don't do weight bearing exercise. Cooney seems to keep lamenting his lack of fitness, he needs to take his swimming/cycling/boxing to the next level instead of obsessing over not being able to run all day every day.

He needs to be on a permanently modified program, but believe in himself and understand that there is more than one way to reach elite fitness.

I'm fairly sure the conditioning and medical staff would be all over this.

[boydogs]

I'm fairly sure the conditioning and medical staff would be all over this.

They can set his program, but they can't force the intensity or self belief. Maybe he needs to talk to someone who has been in his position and thrived, I know he issued a correction of sorts but his comments below were very negative.


"I am probably not going to get back to my best," he said.

"I know the expectations on me but if I play my bit for the team that is all I can expect," the 26 year old said.

"I know my own expectations have changed. The most challenging thing is that I haven't been able to get continuity in training and I am not as fit as I was in 2008, 09.

"A couple of times (this season) I could have taken the game on more instead of a quick kick or handball," he said reflecting on his lack of fitness, not confidence.

[AndrewP6]

They can set his program, but they can't force the intensity or self belief. Maybe he needs to talk to someone who has been in his position and thrived, I know he issued a correction of sorts but his comments below were very negative.

Fair enough, I didn't view them that way.

[Sockeye Salmon]

Choco Royal did okay, I believe he had 2 knee recos before he even started VFL/AFL

Cooney hasn't had a reco.

An ACL can get fixed and can improve. Cooney has bone-on-bone, it can't be fixed and it won't get better. All it can be is managed.

[The Bulldogs Bite]

They can set his program, but they can't force the intensity or self belief. Maybe he needs to talk to someone who has been in his position and thrived, I know he issued a correction of sorts but his comments below were very negative.

You may some really good points, and it also reminds me of an interview he did earlier this year. They asked some questions about his 2011 season, and more specifically, his attitude and morale. Adam noted that it was quite poor, and he was getting pretty down about his situation. This was all in response to him not being included in the leadership group, by the way.

It seems he is still dealing with this.

As you say, he can reach elite fitness through cross training but it does/will require a lot more effort.

I'm not sure it's just a fitness issue though. You only have to look at his kicking to see that the knee is clearly impacting his game. He was a very good user of the ball a few years ago, but I'd say he's quite average now.

[boydogs]

I'm not sure it's just a fitness issue though. You only have to look at his kicking to see that the knee is clearly impacting his game. He was a very good user of the ball a few years ago, but I'd say he's quite average now.

He's definitely limited by his condition, but we have to get him positive and getting the most out of himself.

[LostDoggy]

Scientists can grow cartlidge on a plate at the moment....unfortunately our luck it wont help him till hese about 33.

[Mofra]

As you say, he can reach elite fitness through cross training but it does/will require a lot more effort.
Fitness is a fairly open term though - technically, professional sumo westlers are some of the fittest people in the world and fitter than marathon runners.

He can do all the swimming and bike riding in the world, it's the application of explosiveness particular to sprinting from a standing start combined the required agility of AFL football that is holding him back, and that aspect of his preparation has to be carefully managed due to his degerative knee condition.

I have little doubt that no stone would be left unturned in getting Cooney back to about as good physical condition as he can get.

[DragzLS1]

The man is not in denial and knows his limits which is a good thing. He will slowly get more and more of the ball and will start running harder throughout the year. Cooney to get 25disposals against Melbourne and 2 goals to his name!

[Grantysghost]

This is a much better go at explaining it. Interesting timing considering he has already done media this week. "On the way back" rather than "Probably never going to get back to my best". Hopefully he rips the dees a new one this week....

On the way back (http://www.westernbulldogs.com.au/westernbulldogsnewsfeatures/newsarticle/tabid/4112/newsid/133557/default.aspx)

[Desipura]

At the moment a 70% fit Cooney is just an ordinary player. Unless he is able to get a 85% fitness base, I cannot see what he could offer us that a fully fit competent player potentially could. The next 12 months will tell us alot about Cooney's future I believe.

[boydogs]

He can do all the swimming and bike riding in the world, it's the application of explosiveness particular to sprinting from a standing start combined the required agility of AFL football that is holding him back, and that aspect of his preparation has to be carefully managed due to his degerative knee condition.

5:10 - 5:46 Mof.

http://www.westernbulldogs.com.au/westernbulldogsnewsfeatures/newsarticle/tabid/4112/newsid/133557/default.aspx

[Topdog]

5:10 - 5:46 Mof.

http://www.westernbulldogs.com.au/westernbulldogsnewsfeatures/newsarticle/tabid/4112/newsid/133557/default.aspx

Having witnessed him at his best and this year do you believe he is being 100% honest with that assessment?

I certainly don't

[Mofra]

5:10 - 5:46 Mof.

http://www.westernbulldogs.com.au/westernbulldogsnewsfeatures/newsarticle/tabid/4112/newsid/133557/default.aspx
It doesn't really seem to be there from my eyeballing him this year to be honest, and with the degenerative condition he'll have to be managed more closely through the season than his pre-2008 days.

If he does get back to his best great, but I see him becoming more of a non-tagged very good player.

[boydogs]

Having witnessed him at his best and this year do you believe he is being 100% honest with that assessment?

I certainly don't

It actually contradicts his statement in the OP's article about taking the game on.


It doesn't really seem to be there from my eyeballing him this year to be honest, and with the degenerative condition he'll have to be managed more closely through the season than his pre-2008 days.

If he does get back to his best great, but I see him becoming more of a non-tagged very good player.

It's a frustrating one, the harder he tries the worse it will get. Just something that will require ongoing monitoring and management.

My main point is he needs to keep his chin up to get the most out of himself.

[Ghost Dog]

Played alright yesterday. I'm over all the hand wringing about Cooney. Doing his job.

[AndrewP6]

Played alright yesterday. I'm over all the hand wringing about Cooney. Doing his job.

Same here, if he's contributing something, I'm OK with it.

[azabob]

Played alright yesterday. I'm over all the hand wringing about Cooney. Doing his job.

What do you mean by hand wrining? Media or supporters?

[Ghost Dog]

What do you mean by hand wrining? Media or supporters?

The hand wringing in the title of the thread.