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Clay Smith feels the best he has in a long time, simply because he's been able to say, "I'm playing this week."
The Western Bulldogs' upbeat early season will receive another injection of good news on Saturday when their forgotten midfielder makes his return from a second knee reconstruction as Footscray unveils its VFL premiership flag at Whitten Oval. The 21-year-old says he feels "awesome", and ready to go.
"(I've) probably been ready to go for a little while, but we've just given it a little bit longer than the last time just because it's a recurrence, just been on the safer side and making sure that when I'm ready to go that it's properly right," Smith said of the right knee he reinjured midway through a horror 2014.
"The strength in it, it just feels awesome. I'm confident, so are the physios, they're gonna let the reins off this weekend which is nice."
Smith was playing last year eight months after a first reconstruction, but was immediately hit by salmonella poisoning and then needed a shoulder reconstruction. He was best afield in his first two games back in the VFL but suffered the heartbreak of another ACL injury.
"At the start it was difficult to deal with just after the year that I'd had, with all the other little hiccups, it just felt like nothing was going right," Smith said. "(But) once you deal with it, knuckle back down and get into the club again, do the rehab ...
"Luckily I'd done one before. I've dealt with it a lot better this time, knowing the things I can push. Nothing's gone wrong, touch wood. It feels great."
The tough on-baller might have featured in the Bulldogs' NAB Challenge games but a cautious approach was adopted. He says he'll attack Saturday like he does every game, giving no thought to the misfortune that's befallen him in a career thus far restricted to 31 games.
"As soon as I cross the line, I generally don't think about that too much, as soon as you do if you pull out something might happen. I've grown up playing the way that I play, that's just how I am.
"Hopefully no more injuries, but you just can't control those things. There's people who've had a few and there's some that don't. I just hope that's the last for me."
A first-round draft pick, he has been emboldened by the Bulldogs' eye-catching start to 2015 driven by a young midfield that he's desperate to break back into.
"Bevo's (coach Luke Beveridge) brought in just a new, fresh bit of life. Everyone's taken to that. It's a fresh start for everyone, we've grasped the new game style and it's paying dividends.
"Everyone's happy at the moment, and that makes it harder to watch I reckon, when the boys are doing so well. I really want to be a part of it, but I'll bide my time. I can't wait to get back and play some footy with them and share the success."
Clay Smith feels the best he has in a long time, simply because he's been able to say, "I'm playing this week."
The Western Bulldogs' upbeat early season will receive another injection of good news on Saturday when their forgotten midfielder makes his return from a second knee reconstruction as Footscray unveils its VFL premiership flag at Whitten Oval. The 21-year-old says he feels "awesome", and ready to go.
"(I've) probably been ready to go for a little while, but we've just given it a little bit longer than the last time just because it's a recurrence, just been on the safer side and making sure that when I'm ready to go that it's properly right," Smith said of the right knee he reinjured midway through a horror 2014.
"The strength in it, it just feels awesome. I'm confident, so are the physios, they're gonna let the reins off this weekend which is nice."
Smith was playing last year eight months after a first reconstruction, but was immediately hit by salmonella poisoning and then needed a shoulder reconstruction. He was best afield in his first two games back in the VFL but suffered the heartbreak of another ACL injury.
"At the start it was difficult to deal with just after the year that I'd had, with all the other little hiccups, it just felt like nothing was going right," Smith said. "(But) once you deal with it, knuckle back down and get into the club again, do the rehab ...
"Luckily I'd done one before. I've dealt with it a lot better this time, knowing the things I can push. Nothing's gone wrong, touch wood. It feels great."
The tough on-baller might have featured in the Bulldogs' NAB Challenge games but a cautious approach was adopted. He says he'll attack Saturday like he does every game, giving no thought to the misfortune that's befallen him in a career thus far restricted to 31 games.
"As soon as I cross the line, I generally don't think about that too much, as soon as you do if you pull out something might happen. I've grown up playing the way that I play, that's just how I am.
"Hopefully no more injuries, but you just can't control those things. There's people who've had a few and there's some that don't. I just hope that's the last for me."
A first-round draft pick, he has been emboldened by the Bulldogs' eye-catching start to 2015 driven by a young midfield that he's desperate to break back into.
"Bevo's (coach Luke Beveridge) brought in just a new, fresh bit of life. Everyone's taken to that. It's a fresh start for everyone, we've grasped the new game style and it's paying dividends.
"Everyone's happy at the moment, and that makes it harder to watch I reckon, when the boys are doing so well. I really want to be a part of it, but I'll bide my time. I can't wait to get back and play some footy with them and share the success."
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