A SCAR a few centimetres long on his left temple is the only visible indicator of Richmond defender Graham Polak's clash with a tram back in June.

It's a small reminder that gives no indication of how close the 24-year-old came to losing his life.

Polak suffered severe brain bruising after he was hit by a tram following the Tigers' round-14 match against Carlton, spent a week in intensive care and is still undergoing a rehabilitation program while training with the club.

In the first of a three-part series, Polak has told richmondfc.com.au how much the support from around the country – more than 2000 emails flooded in to the club – has helped him as he battles to recover from the terrifying incident.

"That was the thing that I think drove me the most – with all the boys coming in to see me at the hospital, the thing that I wanted most was to be back at the club, to be part of it again," he said.

"I could hang with the boys instead of being at home by myself. Not being able to drive or to go do anything, to be back at the club with everyone, to be back with my mates, was the main thing I was looking forward to."

Click here to read the full article.