Crows skipper Nathan van Berlo leading the way at training. Picture: Sarah Reed. Source: News Limited
ADELAIDE captain Nathan van Berlo will receive regular treatment from a leading Melbourne tendon injury expert once his recovery from a ruptured achilles tendon moves into a more intensive phase.
The Crows have enlisted Dr Jill Cook, who is a leading voice in tendinopathy and a professor at Monash University in Melbourne.
It means van Berlo is unlikely to head overseas like key forward Taylor Walker, who sought treatment in the US in his bid to recover from a knee reconstruction as quickly and strongly as possible.
But it has underlined the club's commitment to spare no expense in finding the best treatment for its players to have them back playing.
The Crows expect van Berlo to be back towards the end of the season, and believes his well-known dedication and fitness will speed up the process.
Hawthorn's Jarryd Roughead, who suffered the same injury in round 12, 2009, did not play again that season but has since returned to play career-best football and was an important part of the Hawks' premiership last year.
Crows football operations manager Phil Harper said the club was unlikely to look for overseas options as part of van Berlo's recovery.
Adelaide Crows are confident captain Nathan van Berlo will return to the field in 2014 after suffering an Achilles injury at training on Monday.
"There's a lady called Jill Cook who operates out of Melbourne who has done a fair bit our players who have had problems with achilles (tendons) so I dare say that when it gets to that stage of his recovery we'll send him over and see what Jill thinks,'' Harper said.
"She's the guru of achilles injuries.''
It is still too early to predict how soon van Berlo can return but it is widely accepted it takes between six and nine months for an athlete.
Van Berlo was also said to have a ``clean'' break of the tendon, which makes it easier for the surgeon to operate than if it were frayed. But there is no certainty he will play again this season.
"The doctors are hoping that he will be right by the end of the season but until we see how he recovers we don't know,'' Harper said.
"It was an unfortunate accident and it left everyone devastated. But they're just the things that happen in life and there's not much you can do about it apart from wrapping everybody in cotton wool.''
It leaves the club with a major decision to make: whether to keep van Berlo as captain and instate a caretaker skipper or whether the time is right for a new captain while van Berlo concentrates on getting his injury to heal.
The club is expected to announce its new leadership group by the end of next week and wants it done before its practice matches begin.
It will be senior coach Brenton Sanderson's call how the leadership group looks and who will act as captain the club in van Berlo's absence - whether as a caretaker or new skipper - rather than the players voting on the leaders the way it happened under Neil Craig.
Injury expert a boost for VB
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Injury expert a boost for VB
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