Paul Medhurst spoke to collingwoodfc.com.au on the eve of his first match against his old side.

This Friday night the fifth-placed Magpies will take on the Fremantle Dockers, who are sitting 11th, in front of a loud and parochial MCG crowd, and Medhurst will wear the famous black and white stripes for the first time against the club he represented 99 times across five seasons.

The 25-year-old mercurial forward’s sole focus remains contributing to a Collingwood win, but he admits there will be some extra meaning this week.

“Obviously I want to do well, which I think is only natural, and obviously they (the Dockers) don’t want me to (play well), so there is a couple of emotional collisions to take place I think,” Medhurst said at the Lexus Centre on Thursday.

After missing five weeks of football with an ankle injury, Medhurst returned to the line-up last week and played an important part in the club’s drought-breaking Gabba win over Brisbane with 14 touches and a goal.

“It (the Brisbane game) was good. I’m still pretty rusty, a little bit rough around the edges, but I found the footy a little bit, and I’ll definitely be better for the run.

“So I took some positives out of it, and got some fitness back, so it should be all positive from here.

“I’m feeling fantastic, mentally and physically I’m ready to go.”

It’s been anything but easy early on in 2007 for Medhurst, who endured an interrupted pre-season after undergoing a tonsillectomy in January to overcome chronic tonsillitis, before injuring his foot after playing an exceptional first quarter in the practice match against St Kilda.

Then, after slotting seamlessly into the side at the beginning of the home-and-away season, Medhurst sustained the ankle injury against Richmond in round three. Amazingly he was able to come back on the ground after some treatment and boot four match-winning goals, but when the following Monday came around, the ankle had blown up badly.

“It (injury) is something I haven’t been used to, in terms of my career. I’ve been really lucky with injury, and probably lucky again that nothing I’ve received has been too full on, so touch-wood, I’ll have an injury free last two-thirds of the year.”

Being on the sidelines proved an “interesting” experience for the new Magpie. In that time the side won memorable games over Essendon and Carlton in front of massive MCG crowds, and it gave Medhurst a chance to appreciate his new club and home ground.

“I’ve never been a massive footy nut, in terms of watching footy, but I’ve really enjoyed the chance to sit back and watch.

“ANZAC Day, I’d never been, I felt like a spectator, so that was good. Port was a bit disappointing, but it’s just been a different perspective.

“Given I’m new here, and everything’s still new, I didn’t get too caught up in the fact that I wasn’t out there or should’ve been out there, so it’s helped me to stay pretty positive, the new environment, the MCG, it’s all pretty exciting.”

Despite missing a considerable chunk of footy early on, the former Claremont player insists he is as motivated as ever, and is really pleased with his new football home and how he’s feeling.

“I’m really motivated, I mean making the move and coming across here, it’s enough to say you’ve got to get things going otherwise you’re basically wasting your time.”

“The way that I feel about the footy club, I’m really happy, the way that I look at the club, the way that I look at the players, the coaches, it’s positive.

“I would’ve liked to have had more time on the ground with my team mates in terms of the fact I’ve been a little injured, but if someone had said six months ago I’d feel the way I do now, I would’ve been really happy.

“The homesickness has almost gone, so it’s starting to feel like home.”