The dates are something that roll off Podge Collins’ tongue. May 24th, his cruciate snaps in a club game for Cratloe.
One month and two weeks later, on July 7th, he underwent surgery to repair a completely ruptured ligament in the Santry Sports Clinic.
The Clare ace is back playing now, and his journey from suffering the most devastating, but worryingly common GAA injury, has been documented for a UTV Ireland documentary this Monday.
Speaking ahead of the broadcast, Collins admits he knew immediately he was in trouble when he heard a snap in his knee.
“I just had a collision with (Clare colleague) Paul Flanagan. He came out with a ball and I met him and I tried to play on and I planted the leg to take a shot and the knee twisted and I heard a snap.
“I did more damage playing on and eventually I had to be carried off the field.
“I went to Santry the next day and it showed a complete rupture of the cruciate ligament. I knew then I was going to be out for a while.”
Collins never suffered an injury like it before, but did know some clubmates who had gone down the surgery route.
However, he was also able to contact Cork forward Colm O’Neill and Kerry’s Colm Cooper, to ask for help and advice.
“I bumped into Colm O’Neill a bit through work and the same with Colm Cooper, and they were telling me the best things to do.
“To get advice from them was great, they told me the best way to help it, and the best physios so I was well equipped for my rehab.”
Once Collins returned home from Santry his life was all about dates and goals. Get back walking, then move to running, then weights on his knee and then before he realised, he was six months down the road from the injury, and was hoping to get back on the grass and hurling again.
Despite its prevalence, Collins feels that he is no more unlucky than any other player to have suffered a cruciate injury.
He doesn’t believe that anything could have prevented it. Instead, he’s thankful that the care for cruciate injuries now is so much better than it was even 10 years ago.
“Injury is such a big part of sport, as well as losing, and you have to accept it and when you win an All-Ireland and you get to meet kids with tough times in hospital the day after, then you know it’s just a part of sport.
“I was never overly down or even people telling me how bad it was, I was always, ‘Ah, I’ll be back in nine months’ and I’m delighted the first few games have gone well.”
UTV Ireland’s Marie Crowe was the driving force behind the documentary, and she developed the idea as Collins lived with her sister Bernadette and fiancee Michael Hawes.
The former All-Ireland Under-21 winner is hopeful that fans of hurling, as well as those currently recovering from long-term injuries can find something useful in it.
“I got to watch the surgery for the first time, the unedited version, it is quite gruesome, not fit for TV.
“I asked them to send it on to me, it would be good to have. I think it will give people an insight into the recovery and especially Santry and the different tests.”
Collins is now back playing football and hurling for his county. This weekend the Clare footballers begin their Munster campaign against Limerick, while the countdown is firmly on for Clare vs Waterford Part III in June in the Munster hurling championship.
The Cratloe man admits that there will be problems combining both, but football and hurling management are happy to compromise this season.
“Everything is going well, we had a great win in both leagues.
“I’m just delighted to be back in, I’m sure there will be complications with both and we are taking it week by week. if you win it’s okay, but if you lose, then that throws it up in the air. I’m just glad to be back playing.”
And how does he fell know when he gets a wallop on the knee? Is it a worry?
“It’s good, it actually gives you more confidence and every time you get one of them the confidence gets better. You feel it is as solid as the other knee.”
‘Podge Collins: My Toughest Year’will broadcast on UTV Ireland on Monday, May 30th at 8pm.
