IT'S NOT a stretch to suggest that this time last year, Tayte Pears had doubts over whether he would ever play for Essendon again.

The extent of Pears' battles with his foot injury went largely unnoticed last year before he returned to action in round 13, but the promising 22-year-old admits he feared the injury could leave him permanently sidelined. 

After tearing his pancreas in the middle of 2010 (he had already missed a chunk of that season with a broken arm), Essendon decided to put Pears into surgery for a problem on his foot that had restricted his movement.

Scans showed he had a fractured navicular bone - an injury known for almost ruining James Hird's career, and ending former Cat Matthew Egan's.

With every attempted return from the injury there was a setback for Pears. He had become an important part of Essendon's defence, but started wondering if he would ever get back to spoiling marks, creating plays and jumping fearlessly into packs.

"I had all sorts of different thoughts this time last year, [mainly just] about where my footy was going," Pears told AFL.com.au. 

"It had been about six months and my foot wasn't getting any better at all. I still wasn't running this time last year so I was starting to think about what was going to happen with my footy and did think 'Am I going to get back at all?'"

After the recovery period from the surgery, Pears went through an extended rehabilitation process. He could jog lightly, but because the foot was so unconditioned, every time he went to step up his running he developed a stress fracture or reaction. There were at least three or four of these, he says, each requiring another month or so back in the pool to protect the bone.

"That's when you start to question whether it will come good and whether I'll actually be able to do it. There were times when it crosses your mind [that you won't be able to come back]," he said.

But he got there. He played nine games in 2011 before - perhaps fittingly - finishing his year with a hamstring injury in Essendon's elimination final loss to Carlton. He's spent this pre-season making up for lost time, but continues to be managed and monitored closely.

Sometimes, when the rest of the squad is doing running sessions at Windy Hill, Pears will be in the pool or on the exercise bike, maintaining his fitness but keeping weight off his foot. "I think it might be like that from now on," he says. "At least for the next couple of years."

Having played only 20 senior games since the end of 2009, Pears feels like he is making up for a bit of lost time. On the weekend in Essendon's two-point win over North Melbourne he felt slightly off the pace.

He wasn't quite sure about flying for marks, and wasn't as sharp with his disposal or decision-making as he'd like. Pears knows it's a confidence that will come with some continuity in his game.

"I don't feel 100 per cent confident yet in games, but it just takes time for it to come back," he said.

"It's about taking the game on, which I probably felt like I started doing at the start of 2010. Since then I've had injury after injury and you lose confidence in your skills and everything."

All he can do is to keep working at it. He spent much of summer dealing closely with the defensive group, and seems ready to re-establish himself as one of the best young defenders in the competition.

"I've put the work in over summer so I feel like it will hold me in good stead," he says.

Callum Twomey covers Essendon news for AFL.com.au. Follow him on Twitter at @AFL_CalTwomey.

Tayte Pears is a $246,100 defender in Toyota AFL Dream Team. Register your team here.