Injured duo Christian Leopard and Alex Mort are working through a long and frustrating road back from injury. Neil Reid reports.
Six seconds is all it took for Christian Leopard to be scrubbed from a Napier City Rovers’ National League match last year - and the remainder of the 2023 season, and all of this season.
The code-swapper suffered a severe knee injury just seconds into his side’s National League clash against Manurewa at Bluewater Stadium in October.
It not only prematurely ended what had been a strong second season of top-flight New Zealand football, but also any hopes the former New Zealand age-grade international cricketer had of playing for Central Districts during the recent summer.
Leopard and fellow midfielder Alex Mort - still sidelined with a serious groin injury suffered in the 2023 National League - are now in the frustrating position of watching on from the sidelines as their teammates continue their great start to the 2024 Central League season.
Going into Sunday’s fifth-round clash against Island Bay at Bluewater Stadium, the side are in third place with three wins and a loss.
“It was six seconds in,” Leopard recalled of his cruel injury blow.
“Scoff [Liam Schofield] put me in behind, and I just chased the ball, I saw the defender and sort of misplaced where the ball landed. As I went to hit the ball forward, he just nudged me from the side.
“I got all tangled up and heard two or three really bad noises. It was just agony from there. I just about fainted and spewed from the pain.”
Mort injured his groin while playing during the National League but initially didn’t think it was too serious. His 2023 season ended after the injury worsened during a halftime warm-up when his side played Eastern Suburbs in November.
He hasn’t been able to play since, but is rehabbing in the hope of returning during the Central League.
“It’s a bit unfortunate, but that’s how life can be sometimes. Stuff like that can just happen,” Mort said.
“Of course, it sucks because I 100 per cent wish I could be out here every, every training session, every game day, kicking the ball with the lads and giving it my all in training every time.
“But it’s something that I can’t really control, that’s pretty much out of my hands.”
While he is yet to take the field this season, Mort has still been making a big impression in Napier City Rovers’ camp.
That includes assisting new team manager Paul Lees, setting up playing kit on match day, running water bottles, pumping up balls and helping during training sessions three times a week and on away trips to Wellington.
It’s a volunteer role that saw experienced forward and assistant coach Stephen Hoyle describe him as being his favourite squad member in a recent Napier City Rovers match programme.
“I’m doing whatever I can to help out around the day in any way possible,” the popular Mort said.
“Having an injury is probably one of the most frustrating and loneliest things that can happen to a footballer.
“I just want to stay involved.”
Leopard - who underwent a full knee reconstruction in December - has also been lending his vocal support to his mates at both Bluewater Stadium and on the road.
He also turned chef to cook a slow-cooked meat spread after the side’s first pre-season training session of the year.
Earlier this month he was able to start running again, something the former champion teenage runner said was a relief to be able to do.
“But it’s almost like you have to learn again when you haven’t run for months,” he said.
A natural sportsman, Leopard was called up to the Napier City Rovers first team in mid-2022 after playing some social football. He wasted little time cementing himself a starting spot for the remainder of that year through to last season’s injury.
He said being scrubbed from all sport for a lengthy stint, and earlier fears about his chances of recovery, had been “tough” to process.
“The toughest thing for me has been not knowing if I’ll ever get back to 100 per cent,” Leopard said.
“I didn’t know much about the knee and all the ligaments that I did. I’d never had such a serious injury like this.
“It was a big concern for me. But where I am at now, I’m probably not as worried.”
Leopard did a lot of reading into the injury, the surgery and the required recovery period.
“And you look at people like Kane Williamson and Damian McKenzie who have done the ACL and they back playing international sport,” he said.
“So that makes me feel better about the recovery.”
He had also been encouraged by the support of his surgeon, his physio Alex Gairdner and his “awesome” teammates.
Leopard is now targeting making his sporting comeback in next summer’s club cricket competition.
He had been approached about making himself available for Central Districts’ 2023-24 Twenty20 side after taking a season off rep cricket due to work: he was promoted to factory manager at farming equipment company Hustler Equipment.
“To miss out, it was pretty tough,” he said. “I was looking forward to just playing cricket in general, but it would have been really cool to be back in that group.”
Napier City Rovers coach Bill Robertson - whose side hammered the Wellington Phoenix Reserves 6-1 in the Central League last weekend - is no stranger to the frustration of lengthy injury breaks.
The Chatham Cup and Central League-winning player and coach dislocated his ankle and fractured his fibula in four places 10 minutes into his debut for the now-defunct Hawke’s Bay United. The injury kept him out of football for a year.
From his own experience, Robertson said it was important to stay connected during a layoff.
“I made sure I stayed around, helped out in any way I could, just to mentally still feel part of the club and the team,” he said.
“It’s easy to isolate yourself and just do your own thing in the gym. But I think mentally, it’s important to have a role and still be involved.
“I’m sure [Christian and Alex] have been to some tough times when they’re thinking about [their injuries]... The boys want to be out there playing; it’s important having a long-term goal and knowing that one day you will be back on the field.”
Robertson added Mort’s off-pitch contribution had been “brilliant”.
“He’s such an infectious character and he’s been very positive and energetic, and that’s how he plays the game on the field,” he said.
“He wanted to stay around the group and the boys are certainly enjoying his energy around the place.”
Watch the Inside the Rovers video series:
Episode One: Back to Work
Episode Two: The Darkest Days
Episode Three: Skin Deep
Episode Four: Good as Gould
Episode Five: The Hard Yards
Episode Six: Leaving a Legacy
Episode Seven: Fun and Games
Episode Eight: Game Day
Episode Nine: The Great Dane
Episode 10: Back-to-Back
Neil Reid is a Napier-based senior reporter who covers general news, features and sport. He joined the Herald in 2014 and has 30 years of newsroom experience.
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