GAELIC GAMES:DR CROKES star Ambrose O'Donovan has described how he was back playing competitive football less than four weeks after badly damaging his back in a car crash.
O’Donovan, son of Kerry great Ambrose, sustained severe tissue damage and damaged vertebrae when he was involved in the accident while travelling home from college in Limerick to Killarney on Friday, October 29th.
The 27-year-old had to be cut out of his vehicle and spent five days in the trauma unit of Limerick Regional Hospital.
But on November 21st, just 23 days after the smash, the teak-tough midfielder appeared as a substitute for the Kerry champions against Aherlow in the Munster club football semi-final.
“I sustained severe tissue damage to my lower back and damage to my vertebrae,” said O’Donovan. “I was wary of myself going in against Aherlow, and going into a hard tackle.
“You’d be afraid for the body but it’s come on a lot and the pain is easing a small bit. I’ll keep with the treatment and my physios have been great, Yana and Damian Morden.
“It was a car crash coming home from college. These things happen and I’m taking it day by day. The back is still very sore and I’m not going at 100 per cent.
“Hopefully it will come right as soon as possible and the physio is working wonders. I’m getting that three or four times a week and swimming is part of my PE course at University Limerick. The swimming is relieving it a lot.”
O’Donovan is hopeful that he can play some part against Nemo Rangers in Sunday’s Munster final at the Gaelic Grounds, weather permitting.
Meanwhile, Aisake Ó hAilpín has signed a two-year contract to play Aussie Rules with Essendon District Football League side, Maribyrnong Park.
Ó hAilpín made himself unavailable for Cork’s hurlers after brother Seán Óg was surprisingly dropped from the panel and immediately packed his bags for Australia last month.
The 25-year-old expressed an interest in resuming a career in Aussie Rules after three seasons spent at Carlton with brother Setanta failed to yield a breakthrough to the senior ranks before his release and return to Ireland towards the end of 2008.
A friendship forged with former Carlton team-mate Luke Livingstone is understood to have been central to Ó hAilpín’s recruitment and the 6’6” giant signed on the dotted line after a meeting with the Lions’ president Luke Dipetro and head coach Craig Clinnick.
Ó hAilpín is earmarked for a central role such as in the ruck where his height, agility and pace are expected to produce rich dividends.
Maribyrnong Park, who are based seven kilometres north of Melbourne in the Mooney Ponds suburb, are chasing their third EDFL title in a row next year and their fourth in five seasons.
Finally, 21-year-old forward Michael Murphy is to captain the Donegal senior football side in 2011.
