SYDNEY Swans ruckman Peter Everitt is plain excited to be back in the line-up for Saturday night's clash with Collingwood, knowing time is still on his side.
The 34-year-old former Saint and Hawk joined the club at the end of 2006, just missing the Swans' successive grand final appearances that included the 2005 premiership.
Everitt also missed St Kilda's 1997 grand final defeat to Adelaide because of injury, and now his other former club, Hawthorn, is well-placed for a premiership assault.
Not that he's living in the past.
He says his body feels fine and suffering a hamstring strain three weeks ago in round 11 has turned out to be a blessing.
"I'm very excited," said Everitt, who is 20 matches shy of the 300-game milestone.
"I haven't made any decisions on next year until the end of the year.
"But I think if I can really consolidate over the next nine weeks.
"If the season finished next week I would have been probably very iffy.
"But I've got nine weeks to pretty much just prove to myself that I can continue on.
"I always felt that my hamstring was about to go. Against West Coast, unfortunately it fully went.
"In hindsight it's probably good because now I'm feeling the best I've had for the whole year.
"I'm still aiming to rival Jols (fellow ruckman Darren Jolly) and have a real crack at getting to 80 or 90 minutes of footy which hopefully I can get back to."
Asked about rumours of Brendan Fevola joining the Swans, Everitt said while the Carlton forward is at loggerheads with his club over contract negotiations, his reasons for leaving Victoria were different.
"I don't think that he's got two ex-wives in Melbourne that he had to escape," Everitt said, referring to his own situation. "There's other issues in my life that I had to get past."
He then turned his attention to the Swans' premiership hopes.
"Sitting fourth, win this weekend and we put ourself in a position to have a second chance (in the finals series).
"You always give yourself hope (of a premiership)."
The Swans have nine wins and a draw from 13 rounds and have grown in confidence in recent weeks with six consecutive victories.
But with finals aspirants Collingwood, Hawthorn, Carlton, Adelaide and the Western Bulldogs to come in the next five rounds, Everitt knows the Swans need to maintain winning momentum.
"They (Collingwood) have really hurt us ... they [beat] us three times last year," Everitt said.
"Every club has a bit of a so-called bogey side and we need a win against them.
"Everyone loves playing Collingwood, there's no doubt about that. Big crowd, big stage and to consolidate our spot in the top four."
