Michael Fennelly
By John Harrington
Kilkenny midfielder Michael Fennelly is unsure about when he’ll be able to return to inter-county hurling.
The 31-year-old ruptured his Achilles in last year’s All-Ireland semi-final replay victory over Waterford and has still a long way to go with his rehab.
“I haven’t got a clue and that’s the honest truth about it,” says Fennelly. “It’s very difficult to put time limits on achilles.
“It would be six months, seven months, eight months, nine months, it depends on the severity of the injury, how bad it was and how you come back from it, the healing process.
“We won’t really know until I get back running, get a few weeks under the belt running, probably won’t know to maybe March or April.
“It’s a lot better now and hopefully push on to running at some stage. It’s definitely on a week to week basis see how it’s coming on.
“I need to get more muscle into the calf, need to start building that, loads of rehab at the minute all tedious, boring stuff, but it all has to be done.”
Fennelly is all too familiar with the frustration of rehab. He’s twice had to come back from serious ankle injuries, and for the past number of years has been coping with a chronic back injury that has severely limited the training he can do.
“Definitely you get fed up,” he says. “Even in the last month or two the back hasn’t been great either, there has been soreness so I’m looking forward to getting back with the physios and training once you get the body in good shape its not to bad.
“In the off season when you are not doing too much it gets achy. Even sleeping in different beds and stuff it sets me off as well. After hurling it won’t be too pretty I’d say.”
Fennelly is putting himself through a lot of hardship in order to continue hurling at the highest level, but for now at least it’s still a sacrifice he feels is worth making.
“I suppose when you stop you stop and you’re finished. Hurling is such large part of my life and the whole Kilkenny thing is as well over the last number of years. I feel i have more to give.
“Obviously the injuries are annoying. My body is good to go for another while but they are hammering the longevity of my career. It’s very hard to walk away from that buzz in Croke Park.
“If I did call it a day today, come championship you’d be heartbroken and I’d say you’d nearly want to avoid going to the games.
“So I think it’s a love for the game and a love for Kilkenny. I feel I have another year or so in me so I want to get that number eight or number nine jersey again fingers crossed.”
Michael Fennelly was speaking at the GAA Healthy Clubs launch.
