Laharum senior football coach Robbie Miller suffered another big setback at the weekend, re-breaking his leg against Swifts.
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The Demons coach returned last weekend after breaking his leg in round one against Kalkee, but his return has been cut short. In just his second match back from injury, he went down mid-way through the first term after landing awkwardly in a marking contest.
“It was just an unfortunate accident. One of my teammates came across in a marking contest and I thought he was an opponent so I competed. When I landed I knew something was wrong,” Miller said.
“Before then I was feeling terrific but my season is done and dusted now.”
Miller was taken to Ballarat hospital but will not find out until later this week if he requires surgery on the leg he has now broken three times.
“I got x-rays on Saturday night and I will see my surgeon this week to see whether I need to go under the knife,” Miller said.
“The first time I broke it about two years ago I had surgery on it. Fingers crossed I don’t need any this time.”
He will now miss the remainder of the 2018 Horsham District Football League season, managing just three games this year.
The Laharum leader was in fine form at the start of the match against Swifts, with an upset victory on the cards before he went down.
”It is a mix of frustration and disappointment,” Miller said.
“I love my footy and I’ve worked so hard to get myself back. I never cut corners with my rehab so it is just so frustrating to do it in my second game back from doing it earlier this year.”
With this incident being the third time Miller has broken his leg in the same spot, he said it is hard not to consider changing how he plays.
“Those things do run through your head about retirement or playing differently – this is the third time so it is definitely an issue,” he said.
“The positive now is I have a longer time frame to get it right this time. I will have the whole off-season to recover and get myself right once again.
“I love to compete and play hard. It would be great if I don’t have to change the way I play to avoid injury.”
Swifts coach Scott Carey – also in his second game back returning from an injury – said it was sad to see Miller go down on Saturday.
“I talked to him out there at the start of the game and we both looked at each other and said ‘right, let’s try and get through this’,” he said.
“I was right there when it happened and you could see as soon as he went down he’d done some damage.
“We don’t wish that upon anyone – especially someone as talented as Robbie. He loves his footy more than most and our thoughts are with Rob and the Laharum footy club. We wish him a speedy recovery.”
