Schweppes C Grade 2018
Posted: Sun Apr 22, 2018 12:02 am
Hey guys, went to post this and noted there wasn't a 2018 C grade Forum.
An inspiring story of a true clubman from Adelaide Uni whom managed to get onto the end of a few the other week.
"Adelaide University footballer Hugh Woods boots 11 goals in stunning return from open-heart surgery.
HUGH Woods, before the surgeons opened his chest, had a choice – to have a new piece of metal stitched into his heart or a hand-me-down valve from a pig.
“But the metal one meant I was never allowed to play sport again,” the 24-year-old said.
“So I said ‘No, gimme the pig one and we’ll see how we go’. The boys haven’t given me any pig nicknames yet – but after this, well, we’ll see.”
In a comeback more fairytale than football, Woods justified his decision to keep his suburban footy career alive with a dream return to the field.
A whopping 602 days after playing his last match of 2016 with Adelaide University, and 14 months after open-heart surgery, Woods cemented his recovery with a stunning 11-goal game in the opening round of the Adelaide Footy League’s Division C3 season.
In what became a festival of celebrations, the recently graduated lawyer’s performance in a forward pocket came on his 24th birthday, and on the day his younger brother, Fraser, held his 21st birthday bash.
“You couldn’t have asked for anything more, really,” he said.
“It was unbelievable – but a lot of it was silver service (from team-mates). I was on the end of some unbelievable kicks, straight onto my chest.”
The same chest that carries the permanent reminder of a five-hour operation in February last year to replace a deteriorated pulmonary valve in Woods’ heart.
Hugh Woods waited 602 days between games for Adelaide Uni, after surgery in February last year to repair a hole in his heart. Picture: Sarah Reed
A 30cm scar runs up his middle, starting above his bellybutton, flanked by three more “bullet holes” on his stomach where tubes draped from his body for four days after surgery.
The operation was Woods’ second round of heart surgery, following his first at just six months of age to repair a congenital heart condition known as Fallot’s tetralogy.
“And I was doing quite well for about 20 years, but I was never all that fit and we weren’t sure why,” he said.
“I never really used the heart as an excuse, I just thought I was unlucky and I was an unfit bloke. But then a few years ago I got this new cardiologist and he detected there was still a hole in my heart. I was only getting 75 per cent of the blood supply through my body, which made fitness pretty difficult.
“It wasn’t until I had the heart done this second time that I realised what I was missing out on all those years.”
Woods’ physical recovery started with light swimming, and he had to wait four months before he was cleared to hit the gym.
“To do the operation they go in through the sternum and break all the ribs, so they were worried if I lifted anything my sternum would just crack,” he said.
“Mum, in particular, didn’t really want me to play footy ever again. She was worried if I copped one on the front side it might just break. But luckily I don’t get too many hard-ball gets, I just sit outside the packs and let the big blokes go and get it.”
Woods chose February last year for his surgery, to minimise the impact on his law studies at Flinders University. But it also forced him to spend the 2017 season as a spectator, watching his team – affectionately nicknamed “The Bastards” – march towards a Division C5 premiership.
“Seeing that, that’s what drove me even further to get back to it,” Woods said.
“They were considering dropping me in for the last few games last year, but we just weren’t sure I was ready for it. I ended up doing some umpiring, and then in the grand final I was listed as water boy No.1 on the teamsheet, so that was nice.”
His dream round-one return took shape early when he kicked his first goal inside the opening two minutes.
“All the boys came and jumped on me – it was the biggest relief,” he said.
“That’s all I wanted, was to get off the mark.”
He had his third by quarter-time and added one more in the second quarter, between spells on the bench.
“But there’s a guy at our footy club with a massive ego and he loves to rant about the time he kicked eight goals – never shuts up about it,” Woods grinned.
“I said to the coach at half-time, ‘Mate, I’m on four here, I could be in with a crack to stop him talking about it’. So after that he played me every minute.
“I ended up kicking five goals in the third, so that last one put me past the eight.”
Woods followed his 11-goal blast with a more modest single in wintry conditions last week. But he said although he had passed so many other checkpoints in his recovery, simply playing football again was the full-stop on his recovery.
“It really was the signification that I’m finally there – I’ve finally made it and I can go back to the way I was,” he said.
“It’s not like footy has been the be-all and end-all for me. But it’s really nice to be able to do the things I love.
“Now, I feel like I’m just back to normal and I can achieve whatever I want to achieve.”
http://www.adelaidenow.com.au/news/sout ... f34ebe8638
An inspiring story of a true clubman from Adelaide Uni whom managed to get onto the end of a few the other week.
"Adelaide University footballer Hugh Woods boots 11 goals in stunning return from open-heart surgery.
HUGH Woods, before the surgeons opened his chest, had a choice – to have a new piece of metal stitched into his heart or a hand-me-down valve from a pig.
“But the metal one meant I was never allowed to play sport again,” the 24-year-old said.
“So I said ‘No, gimme the pig one and we’ll see how we go’. The boys haven’t given me any pig nicknames yet – but after this, well, we’ll see.”
In a comeback more fairytale than football, Woods justified his decision to keep his suburban footy career alive with a dream return to the field.
A whopping 602 days after playing his last match of 2016 with Adelaide University, and 14 months after open-heart surgery, Woods cemented his recovery with a stunning 11-goal game in the opening round of the Adelaide Footy League’s Division C3 season.
In what became a festival of celebrations, the recently graduated lawyer’s performance in a forward pocket came on his 24th birthday, and on the day his younger brother, Fraser, held his 21st birthday bash.
“You couldn’t have asked for anything more, really,” he said.
“It was unbelievable – but a lot of it was silver service (from team-mates). I was on the end of some unbelievable kicks, straight onto my chest.”
The same chest that carries the permanent reminder of a five-hour operation in February last year to replace a deteriorated pulmonary valve in Woods’ heart.
Hugh Woods waited 602 days between games for Adelaide Uni, after surgery in February last year to repair a hole in his heart. Picture: Sarah Reed
A 30cm scar runs up his middle, starting above his bellybutton, flanked by three more “bullet holes” on his stomach where tubes draped from his body for four days after surgery.
The operation was Woods’ second round of heart surgery, following his first at just six months of age to repair a congenital heart condition known as Fallot’s tetralogy.
“And I was doing quite well for about 20 years, but I was never all that fit and we weren’t sure why,” he said.
“I never really used the heart as an excuse, I just thought I was unlucky and I was an unfit bloke. But then a few years ago I got this new cardiologist and he detected there was still a hole in my heart. I was only getting 75 per cent of the blood supply through my body, which made fitness pretty difficult.
“It wasn’t until I had the heart done this second time that I realised what I was missing out on all those years.”
Woods’ physical recovery started with light swimming, and he had to wait four months before he was cleared to hit the gym.
“To do the operation they go in through the sternum and break all the ribs, so they were worried if I lifted anything my sternum would just crack,” he said.
“Mum, in particular, didn’t really want me to play footy ever again. She was worried if I copped one on the front side it might just break. But luckily I don’t get too many hard-ball gets, I just sit outside the packs and let the big blokes go and get it.”
Woods chose February last year for his surgery, to minimise the impact on his law studies at Flinders University. But it also forced him to spend the 2017 season as a spectator, watching his team – affectionately nicknamed “The Bastards” – march towards a Division C5 premiership.
“Seeing that, that’s what drove me even further to get back to it,” Woods said.
“They were considering dropping me in for the last few games last year, but we just weren’t sure I was ready for it. I ended up doing some umpiring, and then in the grand final I was listed as water boy No.1 on the teamsheet, so that was nice.”
His dream round-one return took shape early when he kicked his first goal inside the opening two minutes.
“All the boys came and jumped on me – it was the biggest relief,” he said.
“That’s all I wanted, was to get off the mark.”
He had his third by quarter-time and added one more in the second quarter, between spells on the bench.
“But there’s a guy at our footy club with a massive ego and he loves to rant about the time he kicked eight goals – never shuts up about it,” Woods grinned.
“I said to the coach at half-time, ‘Mate, I’m on four here, I could be in with a crack to stop him talking about it’. So after that he played me every minute.
“I ended up kicking five goals in the third, so that last one put me past the eight.”
Woods followed his 11-goal blast with a more modest single in wintry conditions last week. But he said although he had passed so many other checkpoints in his recovery, simply playing football again was the full-stop on his recovery.
“It really was the signification that I’m finally there – I’ve finally made it and I can go back to the way I was,” he said.
“It’s not like footy has been the be-all and end-all for me. But it’s really nice to be able to do the things I love.
“Now, I feel like I’m just back to normal and I can achieve whatever I want to achieve.”
http://www.adelaidenow.com.au/news/sout ... f34ebe8638