Jesse White has been doing all he can to recover from an ankle injury, but when he heard the venue for this Saturday’s NAB Challenge game, he had extra motivation to jump off the physio’s table.

“When I got told we were playing at Southport this weekend against Gold Coast, I was very keen to play. That’s my home ground, where I spent two years playing in the seniors for Southport,’’ White told www.sydneyswans.com.au

“Before that I spent two years at the Surfers Paradise Demons, so it’s my home territory. I haven’t been home for a while, and all my mates and family are going to come along.’’

White will be one of three senior inclusions to the side to play the Suns on Saturday at 3pm. Shane Mumford and defender Nick Smith will also come back into the side after recovering from knee injuries.

White has had a stop-start pre-season. He had shoulder surgery at the end of 2010 and had just returned to full training in January when he rolled his ankle.

“It has been quite hard. I’d just got right back into it, head down and bum up after recovering from the shoulder, when I did the ankle,’’ he said.

He missed three weeks with the ankle injury but is now well and truly ready to go to try to claim a spot in the Swans forward line ahead of the season proper.  “My aim is to cement a spot in the team and play as many games as I can,’’ he said.

“With the new rules, the coaches have said they want me to play forward and in the ruck, and even down back. I’ve trained in the backline and I don’t mind where I play, as long as I’m out there,’’ White said.

Jesse White is a $176,600 forward in the Toyota AFL Dream Team competition.

Click here to sign up for the private Sydney Swans Dream Team competition.