Determined Urquhart’s recovery on track


“One of the last things the doctor said was that there’s a chance I could wake up without my left leg,” Coburg’s Callum Urquhart recalls of the moments soon after he was diagnosed with compartment syndrome.
“There was also a chance that if I do keep my leg, I may never be able to run or even walk properly again.”
Football, like any other sport is full of ups and downs. With the thrilling highs of comeback victories and standout performances also come the despair associated with being dropped or losing a game after the siren. But right now, none of this matters to Urquhart. He’s just happy to be playing.
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Urquhart was diagnosed with compartment syndrome in January this year. The condition – which affects the body’s muscles and nerves by depriving them of oxygen – saw the 22-year-old rushed in for emergency surgery.
Recovery has been frustratingly slow, but steady. Despite being bedridden for three weeks post-surgery, Urquhart busied himself with management work for TriSkills Victoria, which provides schools with tailor-made programs in gymnastics and other sports. Once he was back on his feet, Urquhart returned to Piranha Park.
“I came down to the club roughly four weeks post op and worked on building upper body strength in the gym. I was given strict guidelines from a recommended sports doctor and began rehab through water running,” he says.
“I eventually progressed to the AlterG anti-gravity treadmill before I was allowed to start jogging. I also undertook extensive physiotherapy, which involved multiple muscle activation stretches and strength exercises. Now I’m back playing, I’m trying to use padding to help reduce the chance of injury to the same area.”
Urquhart played all his junior and senior football for Yarra Valley Mountain District club Mount Evelyn, whose home ground is just 200 metres from his home. After a strong 2014 season that saw him finish third in the YVMD best and fairest and equal first in the club best and fairest, both Casey Scorpions and Box Hill showed strong interest in signing the young utility. However, it was Coburg – and the likelihood of playing senior football – which secured Urquhart’s services for 2015.
“Before my first training [with Box Hill], Craig Lees gave me a call and we had a long discussion about which club had the greatest opportunity,” Urquhart explains. “I decided at that moment that Coburg was going to give me the greatest chance of developing my football.”
“I always wanted to challenge myself further as I felt I had a lot more to give at a higher level. Playing senior footy at a young age helped fast track my development but I began to feel like I was stagnating and it was time to step up.”
Urquhart – who prides himself on being able to play anywhere on the ground – returned to Mount Evelyn in the past fortnight in order to continue his recovery and regain match fitness. He’s determined to make the most of the second half of the season and has set himself the goal of breaking into the development side and learning as much as he can about VFL-level football.
But, most importantly, he’s just happy to be back playing.