NBL23: South East Melbourne Phoenix Star Craig Moller Details Horror Knee Injury That Left Him Sidelined For 17 Months
Craig Moller's career path has taken a few unexpected turns, and had certain circumstances been different, he may be getting ready for an AFL pre-season right now. Instead, he has become the most inspirational comeback story of the year in the NBL.
Images of former Sydney Swan Daryn Cresswell's stomach-churning dislocation flashed through Craig Moller's thoughts as he crumpled to the ground and saw that his kneecap had migrated up his leg on top of his quad muscle.
Moller claimed, "I had that vision of him whacking it to get it back in," referring to the horrific injury he sustained in April 2022 while playing for the German team Wurzburg.
However, while adjusting my kneecap, I experienced "something's not quite right" as I pushed it down and it immediately rose up.
Although Cresswell's dislocation in 1997 garnered national attention and nearly 100,000 YouTube views, the damage sustained by the South East Melbourne Phoenix forward was far worse.
Even though there was no collision, the top player for the Melbourne Storm, Ryan Papenhuyzen, experienced a knee injury in July of 2022 that was quite identical to what happened to his left kneecap.
Surgeons in Germany used wire to repair the bone fragments, but after five months of no significant progress, scans showed the worst case scenario: "it had completely come apart"—once more.
The former member of the Fremantle Dockers' ruck unit stated that "people probably don't realize how bad it was."
Because of the length of the damage, the bone is unable to heal properly in that area. I had to go through everything a second time since it was required of me.
"From October until March, I was hobbling around with a leg brace and crutches," she said. I was pretty much confined to bed, and I couldn't even lift weights for my upper body because I couldn't put any strain on my quad.
This time, surgery was performed in Moller's hometown of Sydney, and his rehabilitation was directed under the cautious eye of Kings physiotherapist Dave Hillard, a person with whom Moller had developed a trusting relationship over the course of his four seasons with the club.
At the time, the injury sustained by Papenhuyzen was referred to as "one of the most brutal in NRL history." Hillard even got in touch with the Storm to compare notes, which provided Moller with additional assurance that he was heading in the right direction.
It took him 17 months to get back on the court—"I didn't touch a basketball for a year"—and he is thrilled to be doing it again in Australia with a Phoenix squad that has its sights set on winning the NBL championship.
RIGHT PLACE, RIGHT TIME
Moller, 29, had intended to return to Europe with the intention of linking with a major Euroleague side, but new coach Mike Kelly managed to twist the dreadlocked giant's arm into staying in Australia.
Moller stated of Kelly, an assistant coach on the United squad, that Moller and his teammates won the 2018 NBL championship with, "It was just the right place at the right time; I've known Mike for many years."
It's already August and I'm still not ready, but I continued saying no to everything because my rehab was taking so long.
I'd love to play in the Euroleague, and having a German passport can help me get there, but I can't say for sure. If I hadn't gotten hurt, I wouldn't have been too far away. I've had discussions with larger groups.
Mike sent me a text message and we ended up having a nice conversation about his goals and how he thought I could benefit from living in the US rather than Europe.
It's a great chance for me to get my feet under me, and I expect there to be some difficulties throughout the season (which I have no control over), but I have faith that Mike will make the right calls for me.
I think the guys have bought into our defensive identity—I am, Matt Kenyon is, Ben Ayre is a little more offensive, but he'll come up the court, and Gorjok (Gak) is the same way.
"I hope I can be a part of a great season here. I love Melbourne, I really like this club, and I'm open to anything."
The Phoenix (5-4) had their four-game winning streak ended by Brisbane on Thursday night, but they play Cairns (2-4) on Sunday.
NO REGRETS, BUT...
There is little doubt that Moller belongs to an exclusive group of athletes: the AFL's one-game marvels.
The Dockers selected the Sutherland native in the 2013 draft, and he made his debut in Round 23 that year, replacing Garrick Ibbotson. When Clancee Pearce went down with an Achilles injury, it was Moller who came off the bench to replace her.
At the end of the game in Melbourne's Etihad Stadium (now called Marvel Stadium), he had five touches (four of which were contested) and three hit-outs.
Without gaining any further senior status, Moller was discharged at the end of 2015.
"I think there will always be a little bit of that fire and chip on my shoulder I never got the chance to show that I could have made it, which I fully believe I would have," he stated.
I was a ruckman who was discharged from the military at age 21 because he was undersized but determined to succeed.
His career as an athlete was irrevocably altered by a trip to Europe during the offseason.
When they got in Barcelona, he says, "I went to the Nike shop, bought a basketball, and took it with me everywhere; I still have photos of my friends and me on outdoor courts in Barcelona and Paris."
Even though I could have pursued other opportunities in the Australian Football League, I decided to give basketball another shot instead.
In 2017, as a member of Melbourne United, he helped bring Oklahoma City to within a single point as part of the league's NBLxNBA pre-season program, solidifying his choice to go from the Sherrin to the round ball.
"We're in OKC, just played against Russell Westbrook, Carmelo Anthony, and Paul George, I've played for the Boomers, won an NBL championship, and played in Europe — none of that would have happened, had I not chosen basketball over footy," said Moller, who had four points and a couple of rebounds in the 86-85 loss to the Thunder and finished +1 in his 13 minutes on the court at the Chesapeake Energy Arena — now Paycom Center.
"Do I long for soccer? I don't think so at all; I really enjoy playing basketball; but, the fact that I passed up the chance to play professionally does occasionally make me a little bit irritable.
NBA MAN’S DEPARTURE OPENED DOOR
Steve Blake, known as "the little angry ant" by NBA fans, played for 13 seasons in the league, primarily with the Portland Trail Blazers (where he had three separate stints) and the Los Angeles Lakers.
However, his time spent with the Sydney Kings as a replacement for released American point guard Michael Bryson may not be as well remembered.
Moller got his first major NBL opportunity after the 36-year-old lasted only nine games before heading back to the United States.
"There was a little bit of instability, Steve came in for Michael Bryson," Moller said. "I was a development player under Gazey (then Kings-coach Andrew Gaze).
He was a good guy, but I think he saw this as a chance to return to the NBA. When he left, I finished the season with seven games. He was 36 at the time and presumably realized it wasn't going to happen.
A MATESHIP THAT TRANSCENDS SPORT
Moller holds dear his football friendships, including one with a young Alex Pearce, the current captain of the Dockers.
Pearce, who was selected the year following Moller, was one of the people who went on that formative European adventure with him; to this day, the two remain close friends.
As a native Tasmanian, he hopes to get me to play for the JackJumpers in the hopes that one day he can purchase the team.
He'd be a good hustler, but he can't hit the broad side of a barn, so keep him off the court.
We share a lot of parallels; he fractured his leg twice, so I know what it's like to deal with injuries, and we share the same interests outside of work.
MELBOURNE CITY MOLLER?
Moller's time on the bench for almost two years has given him plenty of opportunity to think about his future.
He's enrolled in a business and art school because he's attracted to the discipline and duty of the fire service.
"I can't believe how refreshed my mind has made me," he exclaimed.
The vacation did help with the aches and pains, but now it's time to plan for the future.
"Things are starting to come together; I'll be 30 the year after next, but I still hope to have a few good basketball years ahead of me."
The Liverpool supporter may have played Australian rules and basketball at the professional level, but football is his true sporting passion.
"In Germany, I was about an hour from Frankfurt and went to a few Eintracht Frankfurt games," he remarked.
Is a large central striker a necessity for Melbourne City? Let me wrap my brain around a few.
"Tell them to get in touch with me during the offseason, when I'll be down for a trial."
He provides a wry smile and giggle, but the gleam in his eye gives you the sensation he's only half joking.