LUCKLESS Hawthorn midfielder Alex Woodward is set to make a long-awaited and heartwarming return from his third right knee reconstruction this weekend.
After nearly 12 months in rehab, Woodward will make a low-key comeback in the VFL's development league and play a half for Box Hill's reserves against the Northern Blues on Sunday.
"The plan is to train with Box Hill this week and play 60 minutes of game time with the development team," Hawks general manager of football operations Chris Fagan confirmed to AFL.com.au.
"He's well-and-truly on the comeback trail. He's been training well now for a couple of months and looks like he's right to go."
While it's been another long road for Woodward, the Hawks have stuck by the 23-year-old, whose talents haven't been fully realised since he was drafted in 2011 with pick No.53.
Woodward first ruptured his ACL in a NAB Challenge match back in 2012, before re-injuring the same knee during pre-season training almost 12 months later.
He rebounded strongly in 2014, playing his only two AFL matches and winning the VFL's Liston Trophy, but it was a bitter blow when he went to ground clutching his knee against Werribee last July.
"We've seen it so many times with him, in a way it's been really disappointing for us all to watch it (his rehab) because he's such an enthusiastic young player – and he's talented," Fagan said.
"He hasn't been able to show what he can do, fully, so we're just hopeful he gets a good run at it from here on in.
"He's had a great rehab, he's just gone about it quietly, with no fuss, so the time has come for him to put the guernsey on again, so that's exciting for everyone."
Woodward, who was delisted from the senior squad after last season and redrafted as a rookie, has remained positive and said in March he'd found better balance outside of football this time around.
"I try to get away from footy as much as I can after training," Woodward said.
"I think that's fairly important for me, especially going through this for the third time. It can impact on you mentally, the severity of it all.
"It's a lot different (this time around), and it's something that's working really well for me.
"Previously I had tended to surround myself with football and didn't really have much time away from it.
"To get that break after training is really important me."
The Hawks will wait to see how Woodward pulls up from his comeback match before deciding if he'll step up to the VFL when Box Hill's senior team returns from the bye next Saturday against Williamstown.
