Playing through the pain

By Marc McGowan
IT MAY have been just another round-one match to his team-mates, but Cora Lynn co-captain Dan O’Hara will never forget the Cobras’ 46-point victory over Lang Lang.
The game marked 27-year-old O’Hara’s return to competitive football after a horrific car accident prematurely ended his season last June.
The veteran centre half-back broke his back, a shoulder and two vertebrae in his neck in the accident.
But arguably more painful than O’Hara’s injuries was missing Cora Lynn’s drought-breaking premiership success over Lang Lang.
His second game back on the weekend saw Cora Lynn score a 28-point win over Neerim-Neerim South.
“It’s good to be back. It’s been going well and it’s just a matter of getting a kick now – that’s the hard thing,” he said.
“I thought I played all right on the weekend and got a few kicks.
“It was a big relief (after the first game) and it meant a lot to me, especially being the grand final replay.
“I’d waited a fair while to get back to it and I’d put a lot of thought into getting back there.”
O’Hara learnt of his captaincy honour just a week before the season-opener and will share the leadership duties with James Bradshaw.
“For the club to do that after everything I’ve been through was great,” he said.
“It’s something out of all the footy clubs I’ve played at and all the footy I’ve played that I’ve never been able to do.
“I’ve tried to become a more responsible figure around the club to our younger blokes.”
O’Hara admitted his elusive chase at premiership success was the key motivator when he began to doubt whether he would play again.
He missed Garfield’s 2004 flag due to a knee injury and also played in losing grand finals at his former club in 2001 and 2003.
But O’Hara, who also had a two-year stint at Berwick, believes the Cobras are primed for back-to-back glory in 2009.
“To come back and know we’ve got a pretty good chance this year and to know I’m a leader and can be a part of that – I’m rapt,” he said.
“That was definitely my major driving force and also I didn’t want to give up and didn’t want to just quit and not know if I could come back.
“I think we’ve got a better team (than last season). The blokes who have gone were great players, but we’ve also replaced them with good players.
“For some reason, it’s just clicked around the club.”