DAYNE Beams has been through both ups and downs in his career, but as he approaches his 100th AFL game - against West Coast at the MCG on Saturday - the Magpie is delighted to be back playing football again.
A serious quad injury, which forced him to miss the first 16 weeks of the 2013 season, was a significant hurdle for the 24-year-old to overcome.
Originally diagnosed as a 4-6 week injury, his recovery time dragged on, as he had three separate recurrences of the injury.
A year after winning Collingwood's best-and-fairest award, as well as earning an All Australian gong, it was an extremely frustrating time for Beams.
"I certainly didn't expect to miss 16 weeks last year," Beams said at the Westpac Centre on Thursday.
"Once that third time came around, it was pretty dark for me.
"I didn't know when I was ever going to be back playing and they (physios) went the ultra conservative approach after the third time.
"They trained me like I had a mini-ACL (knee reconstruction).
"It definitely makes you stronger and I probably didn't have as much attention to detail, as I do now.
"So it's taught me to manage my body and understand how it works."
His preparation ahead of games has lifted, completing more 'pre-hab' (strengthening exercises and general conditioning) in a bid to limit injuries before they occur.
Returning to play the last eight games at the end of last season, Beams has carried his superb form into 2014 and has further enhanced his reputation as one of the premier midfielders in the AFL.
The 24-year-old is averaging 28.4 disposals and an exceptional 6.1 tackles a game this season, also kicking 11 goals in eight games to prove his worth.
But Collingwood coach Nathan Buckley said Beams was still shaping his own game.
"He's an accumulator and he's improving season by season, month by month," Buckley said.
"We're very fortunate to have him on our side because he'd be a handful if he was on the opposition."
Despite the interest in his milestone, Beams says he is fully focused on rectifying Collingwood's disappointing 21-point loss to Adelaide last week.
In Beams' own words, the Magpie midfield was "spanked" against the Crows last week.
He also said a greater concentration on team defence will be necessary against the Eagles - particularly with Josh Kennedy in such strong form.
