James McDonald up to the challenge of returning to AFL
At age 35, James McDonald is an unlikely recruit for an AFL club. However, the former Melbourne captain is in excellent shape to take on the role of player-coach at the newly formed Greater Western Sydney next season.
While most players retire around 30, the midfielder has managed to avoid serious injury and is ready for the challenge of returning to elite-level football. A key part of James’ fitness regime has been ongoing osteopathic treatment.
“When I finished up my career with Melbourne I didn’t need any operations, have soft tissue damage or anything like that,” James said. “I’m fit and flexible and able to do everything I need to.
“It’s probably why Greater Western Sydney have asked me to pull the boots on again.”
During his final years with the Melbourne, James augmented the professional physiotherapy he received from the Club with regular osteopathic treatment from Recharge’s Cameron Kealy.
“The treatment the Club provides is excellent, but I was having trouble with a persistent groin injury,” James said.
Applying the holistic osteopathic approach, Cameron focused on ensuring James’ body remained in balance.
“Instead of just trying to loosen up one particular area, we treat the whole body, looking for past injuries that haven’t been completely resolved,” Cameron said. “It’s the little things – a player might have a reoccurring groin problem, but it actually originates from issues in their neck, back and knee.”
The body of an AFL player endures a lot of physical strain over the course of a career. In particular, James’ back was quite stiff and tight from years of being knocked about, which was a focus of the osteopathic treatment.
“For the last two years of my footy I hardly had to see the physio at all,” James said.
Working in tandem with the Club’s physiotherapist, the osteopathic treatments meant James was able to keep playing despite his age.
“By keeping everything in balance, James was able to bounce back each week a lot better,” Cameron said. “Having accumulated so many knocks over so many years, we found a lot of tightness in other areas of his body where James didn’t think there was an issue. Addressing these made a big difference.”
Osteopathy is now a key component of James’ fitness routine.
“Cam’s given me a referral, so I’ll definitely be continuing osteopathic treatment up in Sydney.”
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