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The Coon Dog
09-01-2008, 01:50 AM
Giansiracusa on track for Round 1 (http://www.heraldsun.news.com.au/footy/common/story_page/0,8033,23025434%255E20322,00.html)

09 January 2008 - Herald Sun - Mark Stevens

FIRST the bad news: Daniel Giansiracusa has suffered a torn anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee.

http://www.heraldsun.news.com.au/common/imagedata/0,1658,5833304,00.jpg
Lucky dog: Daniel Giansiracusa is restricted to a leg brace.

Now, for the amazingly good news: He has dodged a season-ending reconstruction and is on track to play in Round 1 against Adelaide on March 22.

The Western Bulldog twisted the knee changing direction at training on December 7 and the medical staff feared the worse.

Bulldogs doctor Gary Zimmerman offered a quick clinical diagnosis, telling Giansiracusa: "Mate, you've torn your ACL."

It was the worst possible news, and it was delivered a fortnight before Giansiracusa's wedding.

Scans revealed Zimmerman was right, but fortunately the tear was at the lower end of the scale.

"Imagine the cruciate as like a piece of rope that's got two bundles to it. It was like the fraying of the rope," Zimmerman said. "The rest of the knee was perfectly OK. No bone bruising. No cartilage injuries."

But Giansiracusa was warned he still might need a reconstruction.

Thoughts of surgery were pushed into the background, particularly with the 25-year-old's wedding and honeymoon looming.

And given Giansiracusa was suffering from only low-grade instability in the knee, both Zimmerman and surgeon David Young hoped the ligament would "scar up" and fix itself.

"We thought we might be able to get away with this without an operation. We hoped and prayed mother nature would do its job," Zimmerman said.

"We reassessed him before he got married and it looked like it was scarring up and David and I were pretty positive.

"He went away on his honeymoon, rested it, and now he's back it's really scarring up nicely."

Giansiracusa will start running in about 10 days and will be carefully eased back into training with the aim of playing practice matches before the season.

"We said to him he'd miss the year if he was to have a reconstruction," Zimmerman said. "But sometimes you can try this. A good analogy is the ankle ligament. We don't reconstruct every ankle ligament injury."

Giansiracusa will have to be cautious for several weeks, but the Dogs are taking heart from the fact it is not completely new for a player to continue without surgery.

Former Bulldog Jose Romero suffered a similar injury and played on without an operation.

Ben Harrison also survived without an operation during his time at Richmond.

"The early signs are looking good. We're confident he's going to be OK, but we know that life's full of risks in this game," Zimmerman said.

"There are enough people who have been through this and thrived at the top level. No one turned and twisted like Jose Romero and he got through his career with it."

"The tissue of some people heals better than others. It may be some of Gia's European blood doing the trick for him."

The Underdog
09-01-2008, 09:43 AM
It may be some of Gia's European blood doing the trick for him."

Um, WTF. How does that work?
Is that why Libba came back from his reco so quickly?

bornadog
09-01-2008, 10:43 AM
Doesn't look good for the season, very risky.

The Coon Dog
09-01-2008, 10:58 AM
Doesn't look good for the season, very risky.
Worth the risk I suppose. If he has the op now he's out for the season anyway.

LostDoggy
09-01-2008, 11:20 AM
Doesn't look good for the season, very risky.

Yeah thats what i was thinking.

Could it be compared with Didaks? He only partially tore his ACL. But still needed the reco.

bornadog
01-09-2008, 05:47 PM
Considering Gia didn't have a proper preseason, I think he is having one of his best seasons. He has played in a number of different roles coming off the bench from midfield to goal sneak.

He has kicked 31 goals for us and is averaging 21 disposals per match, with a season high of 32 against Adelaide. More importanly he had 25 disposals against the Hawks last time and 26 against the Swans.

I think he will be one player we need to continue this form and get us through the finals with on field leadership and importantly a few goals when we need them.

LostDoggy
01-09-2008, 06:03 PM
Very good player. Will be a chance for our b&f. Is in top 5 of every stat category on WB site. Plays a lot harder than fans and his face give him credit for.

Dancin' Douggy
01-09-2008, 06:15 PM
Considering Gia didn't have a proper preseason, I think he is having one of his best seasons. He has played in a number of different roles coming off the bench from midfield to goal sneak.

He has kicked 31 goals for us and is averaging 21 disposals per match, with a season high of 32 against Adelaide. More importanly he had 25 disposals against the Hawks last time and 26 against the Swans.

I think he will be one player we need to continue this form and get us through the finals with on field leadership and importantly a few goals when we need them.

I agree he's had a good year, but wouldn't you love to see Gia REALLY step up now.
Get some ruthless inner fire and become a true leader.
He seems to have what it takes but is never really rated outside the club and has very rarely if ever torn a game apart. I think he, and a few others on our list, just need that drive and self belief to create history. Here's hoping Gia can turn it on in a big way

Yankee Hotel Foxtrot
01-09-2008, 06:42 PM
Very good player. Will be a chance for our b&f. Is in top 5 of every stat category on WB site. Plays a lot harder than fans and his face give him credit for.

OMG:eek: 2 posts in the one day where I am in total agreement with you...... this surely can't bode well for me....:)

The Pie Man
01-09-2008, 08:07 PM
Very good player. Will be a chance for our b&f. Is in top 5 of every stat category on WB site. Plays a lot harder than fans and his face give him credit for.

That's pretty funny actually - my wife is a MASSIVE Gia fan - I annoy her by being just as big a fan of his wife.

For someone with his stats, he's flown under the radar a bit.

LostDoggy
01-09-2008, 09:31 PM
The respect for Giansiracusa at the Club by all coaches and sundry is at an all time high, he gets a little criticism from fans this baffles the inner sanctum. He has had a very good season and it hasnt gone unnoticed at the Bulldogs.

bornadog
01-09-2008, 09:36 PM
The respect for Giansiracusa at the Club by all coaches and sundry is at an all time high, he gets a little criticism from fans this baffles the inner sanctum. He has had a very good season and it hasnt gone unnoticed at the Bulldogs.

I have always been a big fan of Gia and can't stand it when I hear fans bagging him for all the wrong reasons.

I am expecting big things from Gia in the finals.

westdog54
02-09-2008, 01:33 AM
I have always been a big fan of Gia and can't stand it when I hear fans bagging him for all the wrong reasons.

I am expecting big things from Gia in the finals.

During the Essendon game some alco about 10 rows back was telling all and sundry that:

Griffen had zero confidence tonight
We should have brought Street in
Tim Callan was having a shocker

But the one that really got up my nose was "Gia, he hasn't had a touch" Never mind he'd started on the bench and all that:rolleyes:.

At 3/4 Time the stats flashed up to show Gia had 21 possessions. I resisted the urge to yell out "Gia hasn't had a touch!"

LostDoggy
02-09-2008, 08:33 AM
Must have been the same clown sitting behind me at AAMI who also declared that Gia had a dog of a day - 32 possessions worth.

Sedat
02-09-2008, 05:32 PM
The respect for Giansiracusa at the Club by all coaches and sundry is at an all time high, he gets a little criticism from fans this baffles the inner sanctum. He has had a very good season and it hasnt gone unnoticed at the Bulldogs.
Been sensational considering he didn't have a pre-season at all.

hujsh
02-09-2008, 09:36 PM
During the Essendon game some alco about 10 rows back was telling all and sundry that:

Griffen had zero confidence tonight
We should have brought Street in
Tim Callan was having a shocker

But the one that really got up my nose was "Gia, he hasn't had a touch" Never mind he'd started on the bench and all that:rolleyes:.

At 3/4 Time the stats flashed up to show Gia had 21 possessions. I resisted the urge to yell out "Gia hasn't had a touch!"

Clearly a wise sage of football:rolleyes:

Mofra
03-09-2008, 11:53 AM
During the Essendon game some alco about 10 rows back was telling all and sundry that:
Gotta love football. A half-drunk fat guy eating a pie 200m away from the play feels the need to scream advice & abuse at some of the finest athletes in the world and is shocked when he isn't regarded as an expert.

westdog54
03-09-2008, 04:55 PM
Gotta love football. A half-drunk fat guy eating a pie 200m away from the play feels the need to scream advice & abuse at some of the finest athletes in the world and is shocked when he isn't regarded as an expert.

Was going to start a thread on the Saturday based entirely around this bloke and others like him, but figured he wasn't worth the effort.

bornadog
03-09-2008, 05:15 PM
GIA coming up on SEN.

westdog54
03-09-2008, 08:22 PM
Gia's going to be a Dad in November.

Cool, another potential F/S in about 18 years time!!