THIS time last year Adam Ramanauskas was a rookie-listed player with an uncertain future.

He was on the comeback trail after beating cancer for the second time, and was waiting to see if he'd get another chance to play senior football.

The AFL allowed the club to rookie-list him, despite the fact he was outside the legal age-range, and he was elevated mid-year which allowed him to play five senior games before a back injury ended his season.

On Easter Monday, the 27-year-old was one of the Bombers' best in the club's 55-point win over the Kangaroos. The feel-good story of the AFL has finally returned to full fitness, and was demonstrating the pace and agility that made him a premiership player at 19.

"We ran about a 110-minute training session during one of our really strong weeks, and he ran out that session and he wouldn't have blown out a candle," coach Matthew Knights said, when asked if he knew during the pre-season that Ramanauskas would be prolific this year.

"I knew then that we were going to have a player that could make an impact.

"The other thing I noticed in the first NAB Cup game, he was able to spring in the air. He played on Charlie Gardiner against St Kilda and matched him in the air, and Charlie had quite a good game.

"He showed me that he's got his spring and his speed back, which is a big part of Adam's game.

"He will be very good for our club this year."

Ramanauskas was first diagnosed with cancer known as fibromatosis in 2003, and then suffered a relapse in 2005 when more tumours were discovered in his neck. After the second bout, he underwent an intense course of chemotherapy and was unsure if he'd ever be fit enough to return to the field.

Knights didn't hold back when asked exactly what Ramanauskas brings to the club, after his 24-disposal, one-goal performance against the Kangaroos.

"Adam, spiritually, is enormous," he said.

"I spent nine days with him in Japan and he could only walk around. This was only about 12, 14 months ago.

"To see him come back and be able to go with players and give us springboard from attack … what do you say?

"It's an amazing story, and he's an amazing person. Spiritually, he's huge for our club."