Twist Of Fate Not Lost On Campbell

Illawarra Mercury

Thursday March 8, 2007

By TIM KEEBLE

MAT Campbell will think twice before ribbing Wollongong Hawks team-mate Glen Saville about his age.

Saville was one of the NBL's most durable players for most of his career before breaking down with a knee injury toward the end of the 2005-06 season.

The injury coincided with Saville turning 30 and his long-time friend joked it was a sign he was "getting old".

But in a cruel twist of irony, Campbell's similarly long run of avoiding serious injury was abruptly halted at the end of Wollongong's 2006-07 campaign.

"I bagged Sav last year for getting injured when he turned 30 and I must have cursed myself," Campbell said.

"I ended up with the same knee injury after I turned 30, and it was almost exactly 12 months after Sav did his. I'll keep my mouth shut in future."

Last week, Campbell underwent micro-fracture surgery in Sydney, just as Saville did this time last year.

The long-serving guard is making a steady - albeit painful - recovery and has been assured of being ready for the start of the 2007-08 season.

"The surgeon was really happy with the way it went and said I should be able to start light jogging in two months," he said.

"It was the same operation Sav and Capes (former Hawks guard Adam Caporn) had but in a different area. He cleaned it right up.

"I was a bit concerned in the first few days because I've never known pain like it. I was going crazy. It's very swollen and there's bruising right up to my hip, but the specialist said it's all normal and expects no problems."

Campbell said the injury might be a blessing in disguise.

"Watching Sav recover and get back to normal is a good motivator, and having to go through this is actually exciting for me," he said.

"Last year I might've been a bit stale or complacent and now I can't wait to get back into it. I see it as a good challenge and really want to get back to my best."

© 2007 Illawarra Mercury

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