DAVID Myers has learned about dealing with injuries. It is just one aspect of a footballer who has matured and is more at peace with the game and his place within it.

Having debuted in 2008, Myers' first three seasons at Essendon were decimated by time spent on the sidelines nursing groin troubles, hamstring strains and foot injuries.

Last season, as he established himself in the Bombers' back half, he broke his wrist and then, later in the year, missed three games with a hamstring injury and one with an ankle complaint.

But, along the way, Myers has developed coping mechanisms to understand, treat and then - most crucially - overcome each injury. No longer does he let himself dwell on what might have gone wrong.

It's why Myers is still upbeat when he talked to AFL.com.au on Friday, despite missing the last two weeks of Essendon's pre-season with what he describes as "a hamstring niggle".

"You learn to accept injuries and not let them affect you any more," Myers said. "You just deal with them, get them right and get a bit more mature about them."

The hamstring injury has kept Myers out of the running sessions his teammates have been put through in the past two weeks, but he has still been able to keep up with a "solid" program of weights and conditioning. He doesn't view it as a setback to his campaign, which will resume in full by the end of next week.

"It hasn't been a major thing. Because we came back so early, it's not going to have much effect. I'll be in full training by the time most clubs are starting anyway, and I'm definitely fitter than I've been coming into a pre-season," Myers said.

It is sometimes easy to forget that Myers is only 22 years old and preparing for his fifth AFL season, with the interrupted and disjointed start to his career making it seem he has been around much longer. Myers' 2011 season was, however, a turning point in his progression.

He played 14 games - almost doubling his next best return for a single year - and established himself as a key to Essendon's defence. He can play tall or small, has the versatility to move up the ground, and is a damaging long kick when in possession.

All the tools for an excellent, consistent modern footballer are there. However, it was an intangible - self-belief - which saw him develop so encouragingly in 2011.

At the end of 2010 as Essendon was searching for its new senior coach and coaching panel, Myers, a Western Australian, was out of contract and put talks on hold until he knew who would be taking the mantle.

Within five minutes of his first meeting with new coach James Hird, he knew Essendon was where he wanted to stay.

"I love the club, love the culture and love all the boys so I never really wanted to go anywhere else," he says. "Once James and all the other coaches were confirmed it was a bit of a no-brainer."

That sense of belonging flowed into his football. In the past, he had entered games worrying about whether he would be dropped the following Thursday. This season, he was able to concentrate on his football and what he had to do on the field. Things started to click.

"I don't think I'd strung together that many games in a year ever, but just to know you were a part of the squad and when you're available you'd be playing was good," Myers said.

"It means you go into the game and all you're worrying about is the job you have to do out on the field rather than worrying you might be getting the flick every second week."

Next year, Myers hopes to move more into the midfield, where his body strength and size - he's listed at 191cm and 88kg, about the same build as teammate Tayte Pears - will be of benefit at the stoppages.

Having recently moved in with teammate Travis Colyer, who will enter his third AFL season in 2012, Myers realises that he is starting to become a senior member of Essendon's squad.

Helping to push the club up the ladder is a responsibility and challenge he's looking forward to after a promising 2011 effort.

"Whilst we're all pretty happy and pleased with the year we had, we're by no means satisfied," Myers said.

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

The views in this article are those of the author and not necessarily those of the AFL or its clubs