MICHAEL Close is determined to come back bigger and better after season-ending knee surgery and has consulted teammates on how to ensure his recovery is spot-on.
Close, 20, ruptured his ACL at Etihad Stadium in Sunday's loss to the Kangaroos.
“I’m pretty determined to get back out there and having a really good year in 2016," Close told The Courier-Mail.
“As soon as I found out that I’d done my knee I thought of Tex Walker (Crows captain and star forward who had a knee reconstruction in 2013) and how good he is now.’’
“I was a bit of a mess when the scans came back on Monday because I didn’t think I’d done my ACL but I called my family straight away and I’m OK now.
Close’s memory of the ill-fated mark is still hazy.
“I just remember going up for a mark, coming down and hearing something pop. I’ve seen the footage but I can’t remember much more than the pop,’’ he said.
“I knew there was something wrong straight away but I didn’t think it was the ACL.’’
Close has sought advice from a number of Lions players who have been through the rehabilitation process associated with knee reconstructions.
“Guys like Claye Beams, Daniel Rich and Brent Staker have been really good to talk to about it. They’ve told me what I can expect,’’ he said.
“It is a bloody pain in the arse but I am trying to find some positives and one of them is that I can get into the gym and put on some more size which I needed to do anyway.’’
Close, 20, will meet with renowned Melbourne surgeon Julian Feller today before going under the knife either tomorrow or Monday.
The AFL Players Association and Close’s management are investigating whether the artificial turf next to the boundary line and in front of the interchange area at Etihad Stadium played a role in the injury.
Close said: "My focus is getting the surgery done and getting on the road to recovery. I’ll let them handle the other stuff at this point.
The Lions have also approached the AFL about possible compensation for the injury if the surface is found to be a contributing factor.
