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Post by Pete on Oct 11, 2007 16:51:59 GMT 10
Mind you, the person who told me about 'brufen, as he called it, failed a drug test and lost his job as a result, so there you go! (Nurofen wasn't banned for workplace drug testing, THC was)
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Post by Bearinator on Oct 11, 2007 19:37:18 GMT 10
Mrdja fears season over - The World Game
Central Coast Mariners striker Nik Mrdja fears his chronic knee problem could send yet another season in an injury-plagued career down the drain.
The A-League leaders are riding high, three points clear atop the competition, but Mrdja says he's endured the darkest days of his career since a recurring knee injury flared up and sidelined him a month ago.
The 28-year-old is rated an outside chance of a return in Sunday's match against Queensland, but admits he would be playing through the pain barrier and with concerns over the long-term health of the knee at the back of his mind.
A recent trip to the specialist proved inconclusive and Mrdja said if the pain didn't go away soon, he may have no choice but to undergo season-ending surgery.
"We're still not sure (what it is) at the moment, but if it's not going to improve and get any better and basically be comfortable for me to run around on, well then the next step would be surgery," Mrdja said.
"That would be another season gone down the drain and it's very disappointing."
Mrdja has had a horrid couple of years battling the injury.
He missed the Mariners' entire 2005/06 season and played only six games in 2006/07.
Adding to his frustration this season is the impressive form with which he started the year, scoring two goals in his first three games and sparking up a promising striking partnership with new signing Sasho Petrovski.
His early-season form even earned him a shock call-up to the Socceroos' squad to face Argentina but all his momentum has been brought to a shuddering halt.
"It's probably the worst time that I'm going through now, that I've ever been through," Mrdja said.
"But what can I do? I can't do anything about it, it's out of my hands so I've just got to look forward and get back on the park as soon as possible."
"To play again is all I really want to do and it's quite gut-wrenching not being able to run around with the boys."
"I want to get back out there and play and keep playing and it's disappointing not to be out there ... it is pretty upsetting to be honest."
Mrdja said he would have a run at Friday's training session before deciding whether to risk playing on Sunday.
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You could have been one of the greatest a-league players in its short history mate, but at this rate, your going down as a f***ing nobody. Harden the f*** up princess
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Post by bakery5 on Oct 11, 2007 20:44:05 GMT 10
Nik who?
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skilbeck
State League player
aloisi johnny aloisi aloisi he's a mariner
Posts: 321
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Post by skilbeck on Oct 11, 2007 20:44:21 GMT 10
if his season is over then thats the end of him in mariners colours methinks. I hope we see him again as it would be a shame to see his talent go to waste and for the mariners to let go of him. It seems to me that somebody up there really doesnt like Mrdja.
It seems that this is more bad news today for the mariners after the loss of Osman and Mori's farewell
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Post by DJ on Oct 11, 2007 20:44:25 GMT 10
I feel for Nik this year - last year of contract, started the season well, got a socceroo call up and it then went pear shaped! If it is his season over I think it's safe to say he has worn the yellow and blue for the last time!
Fingers crossed he can get himself right and get his arse back on the pitch
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Post by Pete on Oct 12, 2007 18:01:20 GMT 10
If he's not back soon, I suspect he may be finished with the Mariners. Lawrie has basically made a challenge to him to get on the field, and said so publicly. Now this release from Mrdja, citing concerns of long term health of his knee. Sounds like a rift or disquiet between player and club to me. I think the best Nik can hope for, if all this is actually true and not some foxing, is that Mrdja will take a holiday, get the message at season's end, probably end up back at Perth next year on some sort of incentive loaded contract and be a bench player for the rest of his career (if what is said about chronic problems is true). Anyone know Neil Woodcock's number - he may have a short term contract to look at, soon.
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Post by shipwreck on Oct 12, 2007 18:06:15 GMT 10
I agree get Aloisi in here, fit Viddy under the cap with some extra perks as an academy developer and defense coach, and put some money on the table for Aloisi, we need another striker!!
With his current situation, a chance to play for the team thats ontop of the Australian top flight and also a chance to have a passionate local derby against Sydney twice more this season, i believe we can get him for a very reasonable sum.
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Post by ~Floss~ on Oct 12, 2007 18:15:11 GMT 10
The worst possible outcome would be that he needs surgery, cant play this season. Recovers 100% the off-season, and signs with someone else.
I wish we could somehow get to see him make it through the rest of the season, play well enough to re-signed, have surgery in the off-season with a guarantee he'll recover good as new.
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Post by Pete on Oct 12, 2007 18:15:25 GMT 10
I agree get Aloisi in here, fit Viddy under the cap with some extra perks as an academy developer and defense coach, and put some money on the table for Aloisi, we need another striker!! With his current situation, a chance to play for the team thats ontop of the Australian top flight and also a chance to have a passionate local derby against Sydney twice more this season, i believe we can get him for a very reasonable sum. ha ha, do you know Aloisi? He may view the HAL as beneath him, particularly after the breakdown in negotiations with Sydney FC earlier this year. That's why I changed my post and put in Woodcock. I suspect he's easier to get contracted.
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Post by Pete on Oct 12, 2007 18:19:27 GMT 10
The worst possible outcome would be that he needs surgery, cant play this season. Recovers 100% the off-season, and signs with someone else. I wish we could somehow get to see him make it through the rest of the season, play well enough to re-signed, have surgery in the off-season with a guarantee he'll recover good as new. No one seems to know, inc. Nik and his specialist it seems, just what is wrong with his knee. So no guarantees that if they do open the knee it is something that can be readily fixed. If he undergoes surgery, Nik is pretty convinced by the sound of it that his season is over, no matter whether it is just a look-see or some work to be done.
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Post by shipwreck on Oct 12, 2007 18:26:30 GMT 10
I agree get Aloisi in here, fit Viddy under the cap with some extra perks as an academy developer and defense coach, and put some money on the table for Aloisi, we need another striker!! With his current situation, a chance to play for the team thats ontop of the Australian top flight and also a chance to have a passionate local derby against Sydney twice more this season, i believe we can get him for a very reasonable sum. ha ha, do you know Aloisi? He may view the HAL as beneath him, particularly after the breakdown in negotiations with Sydney FC earlier this year. That's why I changed my post and put in Woodcock. I suspect he's easier to get contracted. im sure he would, most socceroos do, but surely the a-league is better than kicking a ball around his backyard waiting for the transfer windows of the european leagues to tell him nothing is available, Lawrie is a master at mind games and im sure he could muster some kind of strategy to sway Aloisi our way
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Post by omni on Oct 12, 2007 19:31:13 GMT 10
Do you know the specialist Pete?
I think the issue here is more Nik not wanting to do the hard work of recovering from a knee injury, I've had a few in my time as a runner and you can't just show up to physio every week and expect it to get fixed you actually have to do A LOT of work yourself and I'm not convinced Nik has done this.
If you don't believe you will recover you won't, Mrdja has played his last game in the A-League I think.
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skilbeck
State League player
aloisi johnny aloisi aloisi he's a mariner
Posts: 321
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Post by skilbeck on Oct 12, 2007 20:08:00 GMT 10
ha ha, do you know Aloisi? He may view the HAL as beneath him, particularly after the breakdown in negotiations with Sydney FC earlier this year. That's why I changed my post and put in Woodcock. I suspect he's easier to get contracted. im sure he would, most socceroos do, but surely the a-league is better than kicking a ball around his backyard waiting for the transfer windows of the european leagues to tell him nothing is available, Lawrie is a master at mind games and im sure he could muster some kind of strategy to sway Aloisi our way Aloisi is unobtainable on short notice from Europe and we should probably stop looking to the lightning as our only feeder club as they are a few levels below the A League. We should perhaps look for a young under 20-23 year old striker playing in one of the state premier league's, that was how we found Jedi last season and for the Mariners, he was really our best find last season. Alternatively, we could see what the AIS has in terms of quality strikers. I would like our next striker to be a kid with serious prospects for representation like Burns, Djite, Bridge or what the media have built Kruse up to be, who can be an understudy to Sasho and combine with him well and has a lot of pace because I reckon apart from Heff, and maybe Kwasnik, the Mariners seriously lack pace.
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Post by greenpoleffc on Oct 12, 2007 23:00:21 GMT 10
Not his knee perhaps - heart muscle issues
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globe
New Recruit
Posts: 13
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Post by globe on Oct 13, 2007 11:01:48 GMT 10
Some pretty harsh words about Mrdja in this thread. Whatever the reason's the bloke is always out injured, the club can only keep faith with him for so long. He's got breathtaking talent, and I'd be really sorry to know that I'll never see it again. Mike Cockerill's piece in the SMH today implies that he's out for good. If he needs motivation, there it is. Jonathan
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skilbeck
State League player
aloisi johnny aloisi aloisi he's a mariner
Posts: 321
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Post by skilbeck on Oct 13, 2007 12:41:40 GMT 10
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Post by DJ on Oct 13, 2007 14:03:31 GMT 10
link wasn't working try thisinteresting thou - if we do sign someone then Mrdja would have the rest of his contract torn up IMO (unless its just a simple replacement like mori). Then would we be able to fit Vidmar under the cap and get a new marquee? Or would we be looking at somebody on a similar wage to Mrdja? Needs to be a quality signing thou.
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Post by Andy on Oct 13, 2007 14:21:45 GMT 10
Your link didn't work DJ.
If we did sign a striker it would because Mrdja would be out for the season, so the replacement we sign would probably be an injury replacement (like Mori) until the end of the season.
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Post by DJ on Oct 13, 2007 14:25:53 GMT 10
Your link didn't work DJ. If we did sign a striker it would because Mrdja would be out for the season, so the replacement we sign would probably be an injury replacement (like Mori) until the end of the season. It's the right page just not going there for some reason?
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Post by greenpoleffc on Oct 13, 2007 14:43:20 GMT 10
Key paragraph from the article:-
"McKinna now concedes the club might have to bite the bullet and replace Mrdja, who has played just nine games for the Mariners since the start of the A-League.
A final decision won't be made until next week but if Mrdja does need another operation, his whole career could be in jeopardy. His three-year contract is up at the end of this season.
"We put Nik out in a training game this week, but he wasn't right," said McKinna. "The knee is still very tender and he just can't seem to shake it off. If he does have to go for an operation, then that's him for the season. Then we'll have to look at bringing someone in."
Bye bye
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