AFANA Footy BBS

Footy has made it back on to ESPN (.com)! It is a backhanded, look at those "Crazy Aussies" kind of news, but at least they are talking about football! Now if only they would give the same amount of coverage to the Grand Final.

From ESPN.com:

Aussie athlete to amputate finger to play better

Associated Press

SYDNEY, Australia -- An Australian professional football player plans to have one of his fingers amputated in an attempt to improve his game.

Brett Backwell, who plays Australian rules football for Glenelg, a suburb of the city of Adelaide in South Australia state, told the Australian Broadcasting Corp. on Tuesday he has suffered from pain and restricted movement since he broke his left ring finger three years ago.

Doctors had suggested fusing the bones in the finger, but Backwell rejected the proposal.

He said he believed that amputating the finger was the only way to stop the pain and allow him to keep playing.

"To chop a finger off, that's a bit drastic," Backwell told the ABC. "But I love my footy, and love playing sport, and if that's going to help me to succeed at this level then it's something you've just got to do."

Footy news on ESPN.com

> Brett Backwell, who plays Australian rules football for Glenelg, a suburb of the
> city of Adelaide in South Australia state, told the Australian Broadcasting Corp. on
> Tuesday he has suffered from pain and restricted movement since he broke his left
> ring finger three years ago.

> Doctors had suggested fusing the bones in the finger, but Backwell rejected the
> proposal.

> He said he believed that amputating the finger was the only way to stop the pain and
> allow him to keep playing.

> "To chop a finger off, that's a bit drastic," Backwell told the ABC.
> "But I love my footy, and love playing sport, and if that's going to help me to
> succeed at this level then it's something you've just got to do."

He's not the first. Daniel Chick (Hawthorn then, West Coast now) had part of his left ring finger amputated in 2002 because injuries to it interfered with his ability to mark or hold the ball. Same finger... what a coincidence.

> He's not the first. Daniel Chick (Hawthorn then, West Coast now) had part of
> his left ring finger amputated in 2002 because injuries to it interfered with his
> ability to mark or hold the ball. Same finger... what a coincidence.

Ronnie Lott did it when he was with the 49ers in 1985. What a stud! The team comes first! Let's see where this has happened in soccer.

> Ronnie Lott did it when he was with the 49ers in 1985. What a stud! The team comes
> first! Let's see where this has happened in soccer.

They could cut off all their fingers and it wouldn't make any difference.

Brett Backwell will be on the Late Show with David Letterman Thursday night. Letterman heard the story and is flying Backwell out from Australia. This is a great lead in to the Grand Final.

> From ESPN.com:

> Aussie athlete to amputate finger to play better

> Associated Press

> SYDNEY, Australia -- An Australian professional football player plans to have one of
> his fingers amputated in an attempt to improve his game.

> Brett Backwell, who plays Australian rules football for Glenelg, a suburb of the
> city of Adelaide in South Australia state, told the Australian Broadcasting Corp. on
> Tuesday he has suffered from pain and restricted movement since he broke his left
> ring finger three years ago.

> Doctors had suggested fusing the bones in the finger, but Backwell rejected the
> proposal.

> He said he believed that amputating the finger was the only way to stop the pain and
> allow him to keep playing.

> "To chop a finger off, that's a bit drastic," Backwell told the ABC.
> "But I love my footy, and love playing sport, and if that's going to help me to
> succeed at this level then it's something you've just got to do."

Late Show