RHYS Stanley is making great progress in his comeback from the foot injury that ended his 2015 season.

The ruckman/forward has been putting in some solid running sessions, although he’s unlikely to join the main training group until after the Christmas/New Year break.

“It’s going well,” Stanley told geelongcats.com.au after a run at the Cats temporary training venue in the Geelong suburb of Newtown.

“The surgeon’s really happy, the physio’s really happy, so progressing nicely.

“It’s been a slow sort of road, and we struggled for a while to get some traction, but feeling really good.”

After joining Geelong from St Kilda during the 2014 trade period, Stanley was a revelation in the ruck during the middle part of the Cats’ 2015 campaign.

And his first half against Port Adelaide at Adelaide Oval in round 11, in which he amassed 17 disposals and kicked two goals, had the footy world in raptures.

But he suffered a serious foot injury during the third quarter of the win over the Power, and the injury required surgery to repair.

Stanley sat out the remainder of the season, then had just a short break before returning to the club to continue his rehabilitation.

“When you have that sort of long-term injury you just cop it and do the work,” he said.

“I just want to be back out there with the boys.”

Stanley’s has set his sights on being available for the Cats’ 2016 home and away season opener against Hawthorn at the MCG on March 28.