Houlihan was restricted to just five games last year after ongoing hip pain forced him to go under the surgeon's knife after round three for an operation that sounds more like some perverse kind of torture than a medical procedure.
Two centimetres of bone were shaved off each hip before six 'anchors' were installed to shore up the connection between muscle and bone.
Houlihan admits it wasn't for the faint-hearted, but maintains his pre-season form has vindicated the invasive procedure.
"My hips are feeling 100 per cent. It's the best thing I've ever had done. I'm fit and injury-free," Houlihan says.
"It was a disappointing season for me. It was the hardest year of league footy I've had to endure, having to sit back and watch the guys.
"I had mixed emotions seeing the boys do so well. You feel good for the team, but you also wish you were out there. It was a strange feeling.
"Hopefully I can stay injury-free this year and have a good year."
Houlihan was bed-ridden for weeks after the operation and admits missing a large chunk of footy was hard to deal with having proven to be so durable to that point.
But after months of careful rehabilitation Houlihan gave Blues fans a spectacular reminder of what they'd been missing when he burst back onto the AFL scene with three first-quarter goals in his comeback match against the Brisbane Lions at the Gabba in round 21.
"I didn't know what to think during the quarter-time break. It was a weird feeling," he says of the game that Carlton won in thrilling fashion.
"I was running on adrenalin in the first quarter, but I ran out of puff and blew up a bit after that. It was good to come back and have an impact.
"All I wanted to do was try and get back having done a proper rehab and feeling really good. I ended up playing a couple of games at the end which was good, so I managed to finish off the year okay, which was the plan."
Houlihan will be given licence to roam the forward line in 2009 and, with the backing of a full pre-season, he's excited by the prospect.
"I can play a lot of roles, but Ratts sees me mainly up forward this year," he says.
"I'd still like to pinch hit down back occasionally and I've got my fitness up to a midfield level now, so I'd like to slot in there from time to time.
"Anything over 30 goals is reasonable for a small forward and I'll be looking to put on a lot of pressure as well, but I think I can help Fev out kicking the ball inside 50 as well."
With 162 games under his belt and having recently turned 27, Houlihan is something of an elder statesman at Visy Park, but he maintains age is a relative concept.
"I don't feel that old out in the general public, but when you walk in here you do start to feel a bit old these days," he laughs.
"But I still feel young in the body so that's alright."
