Angelo Lekkas

[Buster the hawk]

I heard today that the doctors have confirmed that Lekko has contracted Malaria & that the club is understandably trying to keep it quiet .Can anybody confirm whether this is just a vicious rumour or there might be some truth in it .To me it sounds definitely possible given the club's & Angelo's pre-season activities but he would have to be stiff although given our never-ending rotten luck with injuries ,nothing would suprise me.

 

[thetigerman]

I heard today that the doctors have confirmed that Lekko has contracted Malaria & that the club is understandably trying to keep it quiet .Can anybody confirm whether this is just a vicious rumour or there might be some truth in it .To me it sounds definitely possible given the club's & Angelo's pre-season activities but he would have to be stiff although given our never-ending rotten luck with injuries ,nothing would suprise me.

HE SUFFERED A SLIGHT STROKE , HE WILL BE OK BUT WILL MISS HALF THE SEASON. ALL I CAN SAY IS I HOPE HE CAN GET BACK IN ACTION AS SOON AS HE CAN.

 

[astro_toby]

Same here Hawks

Apparently its just an absolute freak occurence for someone his age and fitness, if he wasnt an athlete he would have lost control of his movemnet and his speech would have be slurred and such. Poor guy,
The Hawks can't take a break at the moment, hopefully he can recover well and quickly and your boys can win a few for him - Get behind him hawkers

 

[Hodgie15]

off the hawks website:

After four days of clinical tests and observation in a Melbourne hospital, medical experts have concluded that Hawthorn midfielder Angelo Lekkas has suffered a minor stroke.

Tests have indicated that Lekkas suffered a minor stroke caused by a blockage of the blood vessel that supplies oxygen to the brain.


Lekkas suffered a cerebellar infarct – a stroke to the lower part of the brain which controls balance and co-ordination. Despite this injury to the brain, Lekkas has suffered no loss of strength or co-ordination.

He also has suffered no bleeding to the brain.

The precise cause of the stroke is yet to be fully established and further tests are pending.

As a consequence, all rehabilitation is focussed on Lekkas’ long-term recovery and well-being.

Lekkas is making an excellent neurological recovery, according to Hawthorn club doctor, Peter Baquie.

“We are extremely pleased with his progress,” Dr Baquie said today.

“He was able to walk out of hospital on Friday, he’s relaxed, and looking forward to resuming training.

“Our priority is to look after the welfare of Angelo Lekkas and ensure that he returns to full health.”

Specialists and doctors believe there is a very good prospect that Lekkas will resume training soon and able to return to playing football in approximately three months.

Professor Stephen Davis, director of Neurology at Royal Melbourne Hospital, has been treating Lekkas since the 171-game player was admitted last Tuesday evening with severe migraine-like headaches.

Professor Davis is also one of Australia’s leading experts on stroke.

“Angelo is doing remarkably well, despite suffering a minor stroke,” Professor Davis said today.

“His progress can be attributed to his elite level of fitness and very positive attitude.
“It is now very important as part of his recovery that demands (from the media) are not put on him and put him under pressure.

“The most important thing at the moment is Angelo and his return to health.”

First symptoms of the infarct appeared on the day after Lekkas played for Hawthorn in a practice match in Western Australia on Saturday, February 26.

He was admitted to Royal Melbourne Hospital last Tuesday and released on Friday afternoon after undergoing a series of tests to determine the cause of severe headaches.

The stroke diagnosis came as a great shock to Lekkas, who is in his 12th AFL season with the Hawks.

“This comes at a time when I’m in the best shape and the fittest that I’ve been for years,” Lekkas, 28, said.

“An episode like this obviously comes as an enormous shock and just explains how important your health is.

“It puts many, many things into perspective. You cannot afford to flirt with your health.

“I am hopeful that I will play football again – the game I love. In the short-term, though, I want to focus on returning to full strength.”

The initial rehabilitation plan for Lekkas will see him return to full strength and fitness.

No strict time frame, however, has been established because of the unique nature of his injury.

Further medical assessments for a safe return to football will be undertaken over the next eight to 12 weeks.

And any decision on his return will be primarily Angelo’s with medical guidance. The club will support the player in every aspect and any decision on his return to football will be influenced by Lekkas’ progress over upcoming weeks.

“The rehabilitation will be geared to avoid any activities that will raise Angelo’s blood pressure, especially in the early weeks,” Dr Baquie said.

“As such, he will progress from low-level activities such as walking and swimming and progress in intensity to running as monitoring and conditioning permits.”
“We will be very conservative in our approach.”

According to Professor Davis several hundred young, fit, adults suffer from stroke each year in Australia.

“About five percent of strokes that occur are under the age of 45,” he said.
“And in about one-third of those cases, no cause is identified following extensive medical investigation.”

For more information on stroke, please visit www.strokefoundation.com.au

Lekkas will be available for public comment once he has received medical advice from his doctors and specialists.

The Hawthorn Football Club would like to thank the number of people who have sent their best wishes to Angelo and his family.

 

[MrAaron]

Stroke diagnosis for Lekkas
1:33:23 PM Mon 7 March, 2005
Paul Gough
Sportal for afl.com.au
Hawthorn has revealed star midfielder Angelo Lekkas has suffered a minor stroke and could be sidelined for at least three months.

Lekkas first complained of headaches following the Hawks' Wizard Regional Challenge match against Fremantle in Perth on February 26 and was admitted to Royal Melbourne Hospital last Tuesday.

The 28-year-old, 171 game veteran was released from hospital last Friday after four days of clinical tests and observation, which revealed Lekkas suffered a minor stroke caused by a blockage of the blood vessel that supplies oxygen to the brain.

The stroke affected the lower part of Lekkas' brain - the area of the brain which controls balance and co-ordination.



However the good news for the popular Hawk midfielder - who was runner-up in the 2003 best and fairest - is he has suffered no bleeding to the brain and has suffered no loss of strength or co-ordination.

In a statement released on Monday afternoon, the club said the "precise cause of the stroke is yet to be fully established and further tests are pending."

Lekkas said in the statement the stroke diagnosis came as a great shock.

"This comes at a time when I’m in the best shape and the fittest that I’ve been for years," he said.

"An episode like this obviously comes as an enormous shock and just explains how important your health is."

"It puts many, many things into perspective - you cannot afford to flirt with your health."

Lekkas said he was "hopeful" of playing again but for now was concentrating on regaining his health.

"I am hopeful that I will play football again – the game I love - but in the short-term, though, I want to focus on returning to full strength."

The Hawks are not putting any timeframe on Lekkas' likely return with the club only saying that "further medical assessments for a safe return to football will be undertaken over the next eight to 12 weeks."

However Lekkas is making an excellent recovery according to Hawthorn club doctor, Peter Baquie.

"We are extremely pleased with his progress," Dr Baquie said on Monday.

"He was able to walk out of hospital on Friday, he’s relaxed, and looking forward to resuming training.

Dr Baquie added that "the club's priority is to look after the welfare of Angelo Lekkas and ensure that he returns to full health."

Professor Stephen Davis, director of Neurology at Royal Melbourne Hospital and one of Australia's leading experts on stroke, has been treating Lekkas since he was admitted to hospital and also is delighted with his progress.

"Angelo is doing remarkably well, despite suffering a minor stroke," Professor Davis said on Monday.

"His progress can be attributed to his elite level of fitness and very positive attitude."

The Hawks will be conservative with Lekkas' rehabilitation with no strict time frame placed on his return to action because of the unique nature of his injury.

"Any decision on his return will be primarily Angelo’s, with medical guidance," the club said in its statement.

Dr Baquie said the timing of Lekkas' comeback would be influenced by his progress in coming weeks.

“The rehabilitation will be geared to avoid any activities that will raise Angelo’s blood pressure, especially in the early weeks,” Dr Baquie said.

"As such, he will progress from low-level activities such as walking and swimming and progress in intensity to running, as monitoring and conditioning permits.

"(But) we will be very conservative in our approach."

Professor Davis said it was not uncommon for fit, young men to suffer a stroke,

"About five percent of strokes that occur are under the age of 45," he said.

"And in about one-third of those cases, no cause is identified following extensive medical investigation."

http://afl.com.au/default.asp?pg=news&spg=display&articleid=188847

If I were the Hawks i'd give him the whole season off, just to male sure he is tip top for 2006.

 

[Grendel]

Well there you go Buster, vicious rumour.

As to the real cause, speedy recovery and best wishes to Ang in whatever course of action he decides to take. Footy is not important when it comes to long term health issues.

Best wishes and thoughts to him.

 

[col44]

nice info double up aaron

 

[Buster the hawk]

Well there you go Buster, vicious rumour.

As to the real cause, speedy recovery and best wishes to Ang in whatever course of action he decides to take. Footy is not important when it comes to long term health issues.

Best wishes and thoughts to him.

It's amazing the crap people come up with these days when the Hawks are involved ,this rumour came from a Melbourne radio station.It seems there are a lot of people take great delight in the fact that the Hawks are finally going through a difficult era .Thanks for the info.By the way ,does this qualify as a long term injurie & as such are we able to promote someone from the rookie list until Angelo returns ?