CALLUM Bartlett has had more knee reconstructions than he's played AFL games, but the Brisbane Lions midfielder is confident 2012 will be his year.
Taken as the Lions' first pick, 27th overall, in the 2009 NAB AFL National Draft, Bartlett came to the club after rupturing the ACL in his right knee for the Geelong Falcons, forcing him to miss the entire season.
But the Lions had seen enough of him as a 17-year-old to warrant the punt, with his evasive skills, hard-working nature and penetrating left foot kick standout features.
After doing all the rehab and making it back to the Lions' reserves team, Bartlett was struck another hammer blow midway through 2010, rupturing the ACL in his left knee.
That resulted in another full reconstruction and 12 more long months on the sidelines.
It would be enough to bow the head of most teenagers, but not Bartlett.
He came back and finished last season as one of the reserves' best in the final month, and with a solid pre-season behind him to date, is hopeful of cracking the senior duck in the coming season.
"Everybody who's fit for round one wants to be in the team. It's a long way to go from where I am now but that'd be a good result. It'd be a dream come true," Bartlett said.
"The darkest moments weren't that dark. I got to play a bit of footy at the end of last year which sparked me up a little bit, got a bit of the hunger back after being out for so long. It wasn't too bad, I got by and got into a routine and got what I had to do, done."
The 20-year-old said he had no issues with his confidence when coming back after the successive reconstructions.
"After the first one I came back and couldn't tell the difference," he said.
"One you get the confidence back and you're strong in the legs, strong in the gym, it's a lot to do with technique and once that's all fluent you're as good as gold.
"You just forget about it. It's just a see-ball, get-ball mindset I suppose and you just forget and get straight back into it. It might be a bit of white line fever as well and you lose track of it all and just play footy again.
"When I came back and played last year I felt probably the best I've felt playing footy."
Bartlett has spent plenty of time on the bike in the past two years and can often be seen riding around the Brisbane River with fellow Lions Brent Staker and Josh Drummond, who have also been regulars in the rehab group.
One teammate who has a high opinion of Bartlett is fellow midfielder Daniel Rich, who has seen him go through the two years of torture.
"He's a great fella," Rich said.
"He's always up and about. He could walk around with his head down, he's had a few troubles with his knees, but he's going to be a star for the club if he gets up and going so I can't wait to see him up and firing.
"He trains well, he looks good, just a great fella and I wish him all the best."
Michael Whiting covers Brisbane Lions news for AFL.com.au. Follow him on Twitter: @mike_whiting
The views in this article are those of the author and not necessarily those of the AFL or its clubs
