Jack McCaffrey can’t understand why freak injury happened

Dublin defender Jack McCaffrey says he’s come to terms with his horror cruciate knee ligament injury but admitted, as a medicine student, he still can’t understand why it happened.

The speedy wing-back is almost two months post surgery now after damaging his knee in September’s final win over Mayo. He’s begun exercises that involve placing weight on his injured leg and even plans to complete a GOAL Mile event over the festive period.

But the final year medicine student, 24, conceded he’s in the dark about an exact return to match action, stating it’ll probably be some time next summer. He’s even more unclear about why the serious injury occurred because he didn’t twist the knee awkwardly or suffer any major impact.

“I’ve watched it back a lot of times,” said McCaffrey of the incident that occurred in the opening minutes of the match.

“It’s incredibly innocuous. I was going in a straight line, I tried to turn ever so slightly. I don’t know, it’s a movement I’ve done thousands of times before and hopefully will do thousands of times again but, I don’t know, the knee just didn’t fancy it that day.

“I’ve seen it where guys are in agony and stretchered off. I’ve seen it too where guys play on for 15, 20 minutes. It’s an incredibly variable thing. The one thing about it I suppose is when you get the operation, that’s nearly what does the most damage. Pretty much everyone has the same return protocol then, regardless of if you go down in a ball of flames or if you pick it up relatively harmlessly like I did.”

The current All-Star and 2015 Footballer of the Year saw specialists the following day but admitted he was a little under the weather after a night of celebrations.

“I wasn’t in the best shape of my life and tried to engage in the history process, from a medical background, throwing out terminology and stuff, and just made an absolute tit of myself, I embarrassed myself a small bit!” he smiled.

McCaffrey was at the centre of a social media discussion the previous night when, at the Dublin team banquet, he joked and gestured his way through a live Sunday Game TV interview that was taking place close by.

His antics were clearly visible to viewers and while most saw the funny side, some took a dim view.

“Look, it was a celebration obviously but I may have got a bit carried away with myself,” said McCaffrey. “I’d been sitting at that table, as opposed to being outside milling around with fans, because I couldn’t really stand, and availing of what was available there!

“Everyone was on a great buzz. It was lighthearted enough. It was funny, the reaction. I didn’t really realise at the time, I wasn’t on the phone much that night but the next day it was probably the most messages I’ve received. Whatever about winning the game, something like that is probably what gets you noticed, shall we say.

“It’s funny, I’ve got my fair share of criticism for doing what I did.”

McCaffrey found himself at loggerheads with ex-Monaghan footballer Dick Clerkin during a Twitter debate over the absence of any Dublin players on Ireland’s International Rules panel.

It was the first time in the history of the series that the reigning All-Ireland champions didn’t have at least one player involved with Ireland.

“It was eight or whatever number were asked in,” said McCaffrey.

“There were individual reasons for not doing it, as opposed to this blanket response of, ‘ah, the Dubs don’t care’.

“I’ve taken massive pride in the two times I’ve represented Ireland and didn’t like the insinuation that we don’t appreciate it or don’t take pride in representing our country.”

Jack McCaffrey was speaking at the launch of the annual GOAL Mile events which take place over Christmas and the new year period.