Collingwood defender Jack Crisp has opened up about the injuries he was playing through during the Pies' grand final run last September.
After finishing third on the ladder, Collingwood played three straight finals before facing West Coast in the decider, and Crisp was suffering from hip and back related injuries during each contest.
Crisp's ongoing hip injury was finally resolved during the off-season, after two seasons with the "pretty bad" aliment.
Not only did the half-back endure the pain of his hip throughout the finals, Crisp also suffered a stress fracture in his back during the qualifying final in Perth in the opening week of September.
At its worst, Crisp's hip injury during the 2017-18 seasons would force him to seek treatment four times a week, just to enable him to train and play.
Finally the issue was fixed with surgery in the off-season, after the severity of the pain was told to the 25-year-old.
"(World-renowned, Melbourne-based hip surgeon) John O'Donnell said, 'Lucky you went in now,' because I probably would've been pretty stuffed this year if I didn't have surgery," Crisp told AFL.com.au.
"Every time I moved my hip, a bone spur was ripping some cartilage, so I had a flap of cartilage flapping around in my hip. The ball-and-socket (joint) was getting jammed and it chipped away at the bone. It was a bit worn out."
The off-season surgery set Crisp back in the pre-season, although given his first full day of training was in mid-February, he's made a quick recovery and slotted into the Pies' backline seamlessly over the opening two rounds.
Crisp doesn't complain of the pain anymore, which is something he hasn't been able to say for a while.
"Having that rest was probably a blessing in disguise, because I've felt great since I've started playing again. I've been running out games really well and I'm recovering well, and I'm feeling strong and fit," he said.
Crisp and the Pies are looking for revenge against the Eagles on Saturday night, after last season's grand final heartbreak.
