North Melbourne defender Majak Daw is poised to make an emotional return to football for his first game since suffering serious injuries when he fell from a bridge.
The Kangaroos have confirmed Daw will line up in the VFL against Sandringham at Arden St on Sunday, provided he gets through training this week.
Daw suffered hip and pelvic fractures last December when he fell from Melbourne’s Bolte Bridge.
In an open letter the following month, Daw spoke of the progress he was making physically and mentally and the second chance he has at life.
The 28-year-old has stunned Kangaroos medical staff with his powers of recovery since returning to Arden St during the pre-season.
Daw resumed running on the treadmill in March, quickly progressed to running on open ground and ramped up his training in recent weeks.
Few had expected Daw would be in a position to play this season, if at all, given the extent of his injuries.
“He’s exceeded all our expectations, and we’re extremely happy with what he’s been able to achieve in this time,” North’s head physiotherapist Matt Turnbull said in April.
“We tend to see trends in different players around how they retain their muscle bulk, their flexibility and that sort of thing, but we were surprised at just the speed of how he was able to retain those components.”
The popular backman will address the media on Monday afternoon.
Lifeline 13 11 14
Beyond Blue 1300 22 4636