Two months of lockdown took a toll on most people, but Daniel Joyce could hardly leave his house even if he wanted to.
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The Ballarat Miner spent eleven weeks on crutches after rupturing his Achilles tendon at the Ballarat Basketball Senior Tournament in March.
The injury is known to sideline players for up to 12 months.
Last Wednesday however, he got some good news.
The 33-year-old was given the all-clear to discard his crutches, with experts saying he would be walking without a boot by the end of the week.
He said it felt amazing to be moving unassisted again.
"I was on crutches and couldn't put any weight on it," he said.
"I had to go off work and couldn't do anything except lay around, which was disheartening."
Joyce was chasing his man on defense when the injury occurred. After hearing a pop sound he crumpled to the floor.
He said he knew immediately he had done something serious.
"I had heard that people who tear their Achilles hear a pop, and I heard that sound," he said.
Joyce, who is the son of Miners coach Brendan Joyce, had high hopes for the 2020 NBL1 season following his return to Ballarat at the start of the year.
He'd previously played 99 games for the Miners at the beginning of his SEABL career before moving to Canberra. He also spent time in the NBL.
"I felt really confident in how I was playing and was looking forward to being an older veteran to help the younger guys," he said.
"The club always looked after me and, for dad to be coaching, it was a no-brainier to come back."
After undergoing surgery following his injury, Joyce watched as the NBL1 season was cancelled due to the outbreak of COVID-19.
Although he only signed a one year deal with the club, he hoped to be in uniform when the Miners took the court again in 2021.
He said he expected to be fully healthy.
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