It is believed that because the site of the fracture is so close to the ear, there has been no attempt to drain the blood and fluid that seeped into the ear canal for two days after the incident.

While the star-crossed 23-year-old has been given permission to resume driving, which he was forbidden to do for two weeks after being taken off Telstra Dome on a stretcher, any prospect of a return to the training track in the near future is remote, with a return to the field even further away.

It is believed that because of the severity of the injury, St Kilda has not considered when its potentially great ruckman/forward may return. Coach Grant Thomas would not comment last night, other than to confirm that Koschitzke is in the earliest weeks of a recovery that "is likely to take some time"

"We've made a decision as a club not to make any comment on Kosi. I mean, basically, the guy's had a car accident-like injury, a very traumatic injury, on the back of a lot of others and we don't want to say anything at this point, save to say he's coming along as well as anyone would two weeks after fracturing their skull," Thomas said.

"He's in the early stages of the recovery process and we won't confirm or deny anything. The first four weeks or so of recovery from an injury like Kosi's are very, very important and we're not interested in anything other than his recovery at this point."

While the prospect of being unable to return to the game until 2007 is significant, Koschitzke is believed to have expressed a desire recently to play again that he did not have early in his recovery, which Thomas alluded to last week: "It's very frustrating for him, obviously, but he has just got to get through that. It is very disappointing for him and he starts to question himself, but he doesn't need to."

St Kilda president Rod Butterss said only a week ago that Koschitzke's parents, Lorraine and Greg, were concerned about their son's long-term health and the heavy toll on his body. "Justin's mother is upset. She is concerned for the health and wellbeing of her son. Lorraine is more holistic and is looking at her son's future. His father is more worried for the now," Butterss said.

By Stephen Rielly
http://www.realfooty.theage.com.au/realfooty/articles/2006/05/23/1148150255009.html