Adelaide veteran Daniel Talia has revealed his recovery from off-season knee surgery hasn't progressed as well as first predicted, with the Crows defender yet to get onto the training track ahead of the 2021 season.
Talia disclosed to AFL.com.au that he had been playing with a torn meniscus throughout last year and could now be in doubt for the Crows' opening match of the new season against Geelong on Saturday, March 20.
"I haven't run since the last round so it's been very frustrating, and it was a bit worse than we thought at the end of last year," Talia said.
"I'd actually been playing with a torn meniscus so I knew something wasn't right because I couldn't bend the leg and couldn't really move for the last 10 weeks.
"I'm starting to get there … I'm starting to build-up my weights and running on the AlterG treadmill which takes body weight off when you run.
Defender
Disposals
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"The aim is to be out on deck jogging in the next few weeks."
Talia added that the circumstances of the 2020 season added to his decision to push through the pain and play for the Crows.
"I couldn't really train, I couldn't bend it or change direction … I'd have one run and my knee would blow up," he said.
"It was really about managing it and we're a pretty young group and in normal circumstances in a team that's top-four you probably just wouldn't play.
"But I think in the position we're in it's really important to be out there and teaching the young guys and developing them."
Talia brought up his 200th game with Adelaide in the club's final match of last season and will enter his 12th year in the system in 2021.
