“Oh, so hungry,” Curran says of his feelings towards playing his first AFL game.
“My desire is huge at the moment.”
Since coming to the club via the 2011 National Draft, the young forward has barely been sighted because of a lingering foot injury which he had before his name was called out by Roo recruiters.
“I spent somewhere between 30 and 35 weeks in a moon-boot and a bit of that time on crutches as well so it was a long time and a tough first year not being able to do much,” he explained to kangaroos.com.au.
“You just take things for granted when you’re fully fit and when you get an injury it’s so frustrating…especially to be out for so long.”
But finally, the former Oakleigh Charger has broken the shackles to be almost injury-free.
“I’m just getting used to running again. Hopefully I’ll be doing a bit in Utah and will get as much out of that trip as I can. I’m getting all the cross-training done and the swimming and the bike so that’s keeping me fit. The foot’s feeling good, a little sore but that’s expected being in a moon-boot for 35 weeks. It was always going to be tender coming out.”
While many would describe Currans 2012 as a ‘year from hell’, he sees it much differently.
“It hasn’t been a dead year at all because of what I’ve learned and been able to do on the sidelines. I couldn’t just get to the end and look back on a year wasted, so I learned a lot about the game-plan, where I might play, what role I’d be suited for and how to do it.
“I only played six games in the VFL but I reckon I’ve grown a fair bit as a player and my body has changed, even though I haven’t been able to run. I’ve done a lot of weights and put on about eight kilos.”
Enthusiastic but measured, Curran knows he still has a long way to go.
“There was a lot of stuff I didn’t know and I’m still learning. It was definitely a good year for my footy education and to build up physically because when I came in, I was pretty fresh and there wasn’t much of me.”
Now, when he considers what may lie ahead, there’s so much anticipation and hope.
“To play that first game, if it happens, will be so much more exciting and rewarding because of how long and hard it’s been to get there. The injury has put everything into perspective that’s for sure.”
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