AFTER missing out on selection in Port Adelaide’s round 1 win on the Gold Coast due to a minor adductor strain, key forward Charlie Dixon was pushing hard for a spot in the club’s round 2 Showdown side.
Little did he know he would have several months to prove his fitness after the 2020 AFL season was put on hiatus due to the coronavirus outbreak.
Now, with time up his sleeve, the Dixon has been devoting himself to both his rehab and interests outside of football to keep himself busy during the shutdown.
“I’ve been in between home and the shed, working on my cars and trying to pump out some videos on my YouTube channel,” Dixon told the FIVEaa Sports Show.
“In between that, working out – I’ve got a little gym set up at home – and running at Unley Oval.
“Today I was with Mackers (Ian McKeown) our Head of High Performance and he took me through some change of direction stuff with my groin and that is feeling really good.”
Dixon was not required to go into self-isolation like his teammates that played in the Power’s 47-point win over the Suns at Metricon Stadium.
However, he still hasn’t been able to train at the club’s Alberton base, but believes he is coping well with the change of routine.
“I’ve been kicking the footy by myself and running round– I think I’ve been in self-isolation for a number of years now so I’m used to it,” Dixon said.
“I like my music so I just put my tunes on and go to work – that’s all I’ve been doing lately and I’ve been enjoying it.”
That said, the 29-year-old says he is missing spending time at the clubrooms with his teammates.
He says he’s also been in constant contact with his teammates and those in self-isolation are counting down the days until they can venture outside again.
“I still enjoy the lads,” he said.
“You start to miss it a lot more now that you’re not seeing the boys and the family.
“It was Trent McKenzie’s birthday so I called him and he’s ready to get outside.
“There’s a lot of boys in the same boat ready to get out and do some running, kick a footy and just get away from the house for a bit.”
The former Suns says he is slowly adjusting to a life of self-isolation and social distancing and is thankful he has interests to occupy his time away from the club.
Most importantly, he is focused on returning to Alberton in great shape and continuing the strong body of work he put forward during the pre-season.
“It’s definitely a different time. I’m lucky I’ve got a few hobbies to keep me busy and I tend to use the gym at home every day and set myself with a few different things.
“It is very disappointing, but everyone’s going through their struggles at the moment and I’m not alone in this.
“I just want to be fit and healthy when we do start playing again.”
