RICHMOND midfielder Mark Coughlan will undergo the same radical treatment that saved last year`s AFL season for Geelong defender Max Rooke.Coughlan, who suffered another hamstring injury this week, has travelled to Germany with the Tigers` rehabilitation and conditioning coach Warren Kofoed to meet Dr Hans Muller-Wolfhart.
The Tigers onballer will undergo a two-week treatment program, which features injections of substances such as calf blood into the affected area.
While Muller-Wolfhart`s methods are unconventional, he is renowned for treating persistent injuries of this type.
"There are a few things out there and they`re not necessarily proven scientifically, but there`s a lot of people like Rooke who have done well," said Richmond club doctor Greg Hickey.
"Whether or not it`s got the scientific basis behind it yet, we want to give Mark every opportunity."
Rooke went to Germany last year for the treatment and was able to return to the AFL for Geelong`s historic premiership.
Dr Hickey stressed he was not advocating Dr Muller-Wolfhart`s treatment for normal hamstring problems, but said Coughlan`s situation was far from normal.
After recovering from osteitis pubis and two knee reconstructions over the past few years, Coughlan cannot return to the AFL because of persistent hamstring problems.
"It`s not been our normal process to go to this sort of extreme, but taking into account that Mark has had a couple of recurrences of this injury and his past history over the last four years ... he`s had a terrible run," Dr Hickey said.
"We want to offer Mark every avenue to get back and play some footy this year and hopefully for the future.
"He`s such an incredibly hard-working fellow and to have these injuries chucked at him all the time, we`d want to provide everything we can for him to get back."
Dr Hickey said he spoke to Geelong club doctor Chris Bradshaw this week and added the success of Rooke`s treatment had sparked a lot of interest among medical staff around the league.
Dr Hickey said Coughlan`s hamstring injuries were "indirectly" related to the affects of his knee reconstructions.
AAP
