So being up for 24 hours with food poisoning the day before the game isn’t generally part of the plan.
It was the Friday night before we played North Melbourne at the SCG. I’d had a chicken sandwich for lunch that day, and at 1am in the morning, I realised that the chicken may still have been clucking when I ate it....
The next 24 hours weren’t pretty. Let’s just say that I didn’t get more than 30 minutes rest between vomiting episodes.
But Sunday was a new day. I woke up on the morning of the game and I wasn’t feeling sick any more. I felt fine, though a bit zapped of energy.
You’re really dehydrated which is not ideal to play but I thought I could still be involved in the game and do my bit. As it turned out I couldn’t do too much, and the stats told the story.
I’d make one effort and it was like I hadn’t played for three years. I’d lost nearly five kilograms in one day, so that didn’t help.
But anyway, there are no excuses, and everyone plays with different problems during their careers. Once you put your hand up to play, you’re expected to do your role and be 100 per cent.
So last week I concentrated on getting back into good eating habits even though it was hard to eat early in the week. I did some extra weights session to feel better about myself and by last Thursday I was back to 100 per cent.
So my preparation for last Sunday’s game against Carlton was certainly more routine, thankfully!
I got a bit of a knock on the leg during the game, but it’s fine, and there was some consolation because I got put into business class for our flight home to Sydney.
This week is a big recovery week for me to get my body right and get ready for training on Wednesday and Friday, going into a big game this weekend against Melbourne.
There are challenges every week, but I hope a bad chicken sandwich isn’t one I have to face again anytime soon!
