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Shane Crawford’s recovery from a knee injury will determine whether the Hawthorn star plays on in 2009 in pursuit of back-to-back AFL premierships.
Having finally achieved his career-long aim of winning a premiership medal, Crawford today admitted he was lucky to even take part in the Hawks’ stunning finals campaign given knee tendinitis restricted him to five games in the first half of the season.
Crawford had also previously stated his belief he would never get the chance to play in a premiership when the club was undergoing its rebuilding phase, ultimately forced to wait 305 games to do so.
Hawthorn’s good form through the season allowed the club to give the veteran midfielder a decent recuperation period, before he returned to the side for good in round 18.
Crawford, 34, today said he was unsure if he would retire on a high or play on, given the Hawks are on the cusp of big things with such a young, talented playing list.
“I’ve never done back-to-back,” he said smiling when asked about his future.
“I honestly don’t know.
“The next couple of weeks I’m just going to enjoy it and then I’m going to sit down and work through it.
“I need to work out how long it’s going to take to get my knee right.
“They all say that it’s only a matter of a couple of months of giving it a rest and a bit of a rehab.
“But if it was going to be last game, what a way to finish on.”
While Crawford lived a fairytale result after such a long wait, the outlook during the season was much more bleak as his knee troubles made him a risky proposition before the finals.
He thanked the Hawthorn medical staff for devising his recovery program and helping him take part in the club’s first flag in 17 years.
“Probably 10 weeks out I was very iffy to continue on because of my knee,” he told the Nine Network.
“Because the side was doing well we tried a few different things and I was very lucky to be (playing) during the finals.”
Crawford at least entered the finals in good shape, but several of his teammates ended the campaign euphoric but sore.
Defender Trent Croad missed the club’s family day at Glenferrie Oval today because he was in hospital awaiting foot surgery, after he went off the ground in the second quarter with a broken foot.
Hawks football operations manager Mark Evans today took the premiership cup into Croad’s ward to help ease his pain.
Utility Campbell Brown played the finals series with a broken foot, while midfielder Chance Bateman is set to undergo an ankle reconstruction after he was battered physically yesterday.
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