FIT-AGAIN Brisbane defender Noah Answerth says a long chat with West Coast star Elliot Yeo helped him navigate the most difficult period of his young football career.
Answerth is set to play his first senior game in 18 months on Saturday night when he is recalled to the Lions' team to play Port Adelaide at the Gabba following groin injuries that destroyed his entire 2021 season.
GOING TO THE GAME? Get R1 tickets for Lions v Power here
And the 22-year-old says it was Yeo – a man who suffered the same injury across 2020 and 2021 – who helped lift him out of the doldrums.
Answerth last played in round 17, 2020, against Sydney in Cairns, and by the early to middle stages of last season was at a loss, experiencing a few false dawns with his rehabilitation.
It was then his father, who had a mate that was family friends with the Yeos, suggested he get in touch with the Eagle.
After a text message to clear the way, Answerth gave the dual Therabody AFL All-Australian a ring to seek his advice.
"He took a good half an hour to 45 minutes to talk to me," Answerth told AFL.com.au.
"He went through what he did to get back.
"He was probably the reason why the change happened for me, and for my career it's probably the best conversation I've had."
Answerth said Yeo kept things simple, telling the young Lion to do what worked best for him, stick to the people helping him the best, and to follow the program he had in place.
"It was getting to the point where I was getting back and then going backwards," he said.
"It took for me to take my career into my own hands a little bit, which is the advice I got from him."
FANTASY LATEST Tips, strategy, draft, podcasts, more
Since then it's been clear skies for Answerth, forcing the door down for selection during pre-season matches with his energetic play as both a defender and on the wing.
He said not only did Yeo provide the clarity he needed, but his girlfriend had been a rock of support and Lions teammates Linc McCarthy and Joe Daniher, who had been through similarly lengthy rehabs, been comforts in steering through the troubles.
"Weekends are exciting now," he said.
"I always had this thought of getting back to play one game would be an achievement.
"Not that I ever thought it would be round one … it would just be exciting to play a game of AFL footy and to tick that off and that'll be an achievement for me personally.
"Hopefully I can create a new career from there."