Huxley on track for Brumbies return
Mon, 18 Aug 2008 12:27
Australian utility back Julian Huxley remains hopeful of making a shock return to the playing field for the Brumbies next season, following recent brain tumour surgery.
The former Wallaby had surgery to remove a brain tumour, which was only discovered after he was knocked out during a Super 14 match against the Reds on March 1.
Although his professional career was deemed to be over, the 29-year-old has been training with his Brumbies teammates in the hope that medics give him the all-clear to reconsider retirement.
Huxley will have some involvement with his Super 14 franchise as the Brumbies new kicking/skills coach, though has his heart set on wearing the blue and white again.
"I reckon I would be pretty overwhelmed to run back on the park," Huxley told The Sun-Herald.
"There's a long way to go before then. If I could get back to where I was, that would mean the world to me, but that's a big challenge.
"I don't want to come back if I'm not going to be as good as I was," he added.
Huxley has been searching the internet to find out whether other athletes had made successful comebacks to contact sports after brain tumour surgery.
"A few boxers have, a gridiron player did it. None of them had tumours; they had cysts or something removed," he said.
"I've only done some brief research but I've got the rest of the year to do it, to ask other doctors. Obviously, there will be insurance issues and doctors to convince as well.
"I'm training to get back to where I was but I'm a fair way from it.
"Eventually, by February next year, I'll be in the shape I was when I was playing last year and this year.
"[Training is] not such a big deal for me. I've had a pretty active lifestyle for a long time now, you miss it and start to feel like a bit of a slob."
Huxley stressed however that he wouldn't enter into any decision lightly.
"It's not like I'm having a knee reconstruction and I'm putting a time protocol on it," he said.
"It's not like tons of other blokes have done it.
"My dad gave me the best advice: 'Take it as it comes and when you know, you'll know'.
"I haven't completely put it to bed. I'll certainly not put any time-frame on it at the moment, considering I haven't done all my due diligence," Huxley added, which includes an appointment with an oncologist, as well as additional chemotherapy.
