Jarrad McVeigh’s recovery from post-season surgery has taken a significant step this week with the co-captain back running for the first time this pre-season.
McVeigh underwent surgery last year to clear up an issue with his knee, keeping the 30-year-old off his legs so far this offseason.
A lot of the rehab has been spent in the gym and on the exercise bike to maintain his fitness base which was already strong after 13 seasons in the system.
Aside from overseeing a few sessions, McVeigh has been a notable absentee from trainings until this week.
General Manager of Football Tom Harley said McVeigh’s path back to full fitness was going to be slow and steady.
“Step one to get the rehab right and the strength right, then you move into running for fitness then obviously progress into gam intensity drills,” Harley told SwansTV.
“Jarrad’s still got a few more boxes to tick at this stage but he’s the captain of the club and he does everything right all the time.
“Plenty of time and patience required but we’re comfortable where Macca’s at right now.”
McVeigh’s rehab partner for most of the offseason has been Ben McGlynn.
Unlike his counterpart, McGlynn is managing a soft tissue injury and has been on an individually tailored program in the hope of regaining the strength needed to withstand the rigors of a full AFL season.
He only managed nine games last year due to a series of calf and hamstring complaints
“Ben is still a little way from running but speaking to him he’s really comfortable with the way things are progressing,” Harley added.
“Physically he’s in pretty good nick and we’re confident the program we’ve put in place will enable him, when the time’s right, to launch straight into game state and get himself up to have an impact on the park.”
Zak Jones is another progressing well in his recovery from a knee operation.
The 20-year-old, who has been touted to replace Rhyce Shaw as a permanent fixture in the Swans’ defensive half, is only a couple of weeks away from being declared fully fit.
Young ruckman Sam Naismith is another on the comeback trail, having progressed to running on his road back from groin issues which plagued his 2015 campaign.
And finally, Alex Johnson is currently seeking medical advice to determine the next best course of action in his ongoing recovery from a knee reconstruction.
Sydney Swans Media will provide an update on Johnson’s status when more information comes to light.
