UNLUCKY Essendon defender Alex Morgan hopes his hamstring concerns are in the past as he aims to make his AFL debut.
Having quit the TAC Cup at the start of 2014 ahead of his draft year before rediscovering his love of the game, the second-year Bomber is training strongly to put him in the mix for a senior call-up this year.
Morgan, who turns 21 on January 28, played one pre-season game for the Bombers and 10 games in the VFL last year.
The Bombers managed Morgan carefully through the season as he recovered from a hamstring complaint that had bothered him since he was playing for the Oakleigh Chargers.
"It was pretty frustrating, but hopefully that’s all behind me now," Morgan told essendonfc.com.au.
"The hamstring and the body is feeling good so hopefully I can have a good pre-season and take it into the (pre-season games).
"My B4 numbers, which is the high-speed running, have been up of late so I just need to incorporate a bit more with the ball and try and get a couple more touches during training."
Morgan's speed is one of his greatest assets.
He stopped the clock in 2.88 seconds in the 20m sprint at the 2015 NAB AFL Draft Combine.
Morgan is on a modified training program to cater for his hamstring issues.
He completes full training for two of the three main sessions each week, but has a lighter load on Tuesdays and Wednesdays.
The Bombers selected Morgan with the 29th overall pick in the 2015 NAB AFL Draft.
He didn't play in the TAC Cup in 2014 as he considered whether he was committed enough to be in a full-time football program.
Instead, he played for Forest Hill in Melbourne's eastern suburbs and started a business, marketing and management course at Swinburne University before working five days a week at a warehouse.
At the end of the year, he decided to give football another shot and had a trial with the Chargers, earning another season as a 19-year-old.
In 2015, he impressed recruiters with his dash from defence, pace and skills on both sides of his body and won selection for Vic Metro at the under-18 championships.
Morgan knows he has plenty of work to do if he is going to force his way into the Bombers' best 22.
"I tried to stick to my program as much as I could over the off-season, so I came back in better shape than last year, so I’m pretty happy," he said.
"The performance coaches have been good in tailoring a specific program for me.
"We’ve picked up a few half-backs now so I think it’s going to be tough for selection, but hopefully I can impress in the pre-season and take it into (2017)."
