Cats ruckman Hamish McIntosh is excited to be going into the season unscathed and hopes he’s in the mix for Thursday night's opening clash.
Having endured a disappointing streak of injures over the past two years, the ruckman can’t help but feel optimistic about the season ahead.
“It’s looking pretty promising,” McIntosh told SEN Radio.
“I got through the whole preseason and played a couple of games - we’ll just have to wait and see after training today when the side is finalised.
“But I’m looking forward to a big year ahead and hopefully playing some good footy and staying out of the rehab room… it’s been a rough couple of years…
“I just want to make sure I finish the game the right way rather than being injured.”
McIntosh concedes he was scared that his opportunity of returning to the game he loved had passed him by. However luckily for him, his inner strength and passion for the game pushed him through.
“Yeah there were times I must admit - definitely last year I thought at times that my body wasn’t going to hold up,” McIntosh said.
“Id get stuck into training and something else in my body would break down.
“But you only live one life and you want to make the most out of football, so I just want to give it everything I can and thank god I did because my body has held up with all the treatment and hard work.”
During his two years on the sidelines, McIntosh has learned how to best manage his body and he believes maturity played a huge role in his recovery.
“I guess the main thing is maturing as a footballer. When you are 21, 22 you go out and you think you’re invincible but the older you get the more diligent you need to be in your rehab,” McIntosh said.
“That’s the main thing, I don’t really rest - everyday I’m always doing little exercises and looking after my body, which is so important.”
This year McIntosh says he’ll be ready to assist in the ruck as well as up forward. Where he spends most his time will depend on the makeup of the team.
“If it’s both Dawson and myself in the side you need to be able to go forward. If it were just Blicavs and Dawson or myself then we’d obviously need to play more of a ruck role and play a smaller amount up forward.”
Despite being out of action for such a long time, McIntosh believes, with a few little tweaks, that his game is still as strong as it was when he left.
“I don’t think my games changed too much from when I last played but there are a few little tinkering things that I’ve had to do with my body - but most of all I feel like I’m the same player,” McIntosh said.
“In saying that the game has changed a lot over the last 24 months so I’ve got to adapt to that in the right way.”
