READ MORE - Century up for Jarryn Geary
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
READ MORE - "Inspirational" Geary to captain Saints
HAVING put a forgettable 2019 soured by two major injuries behind him, St Kilda captain Jarryn Geary is champing at the bit to re-ignite his AFL career.
The Eaglehawk product, who was back at Canterbury Park on Sunday for a Hawks' junior registration day, was one of the hard-luck injury stories of the AFL last year.
First was the compartment syndrome Geary suffered to his right thigh that stemmed from a corkie against Melbourne in round five, with the confronting picture that showed the extent of the injury attracting significant publicity such was the severity.
Having been sidelined for six weeks with the thigh injury that required emergency surgery, an open wound for five days and 30 stitches, skipper Geary returned to the Saints' side for their round 11 match against Port Adelaide in Shanghai.
However, Geary's return match - and his season - cruelly ended when he suffered a broken left leg.
But with those injuries behind him, Geary says his body is well healed and once again feeling good as he prepares to embark on his 14th season at St Kilda.
"I'm feeling good... it was obviously tough last year with the corkie that turned into compartment syndrome and then the broken leg," Geary said on Sunday.
"I had eight operations in eight or nine weeks, which wasn't much fun, but I've come out of the end of it pretty good. I've had a good block of training, so I should be good to go in round one.
"I won't play our first Marsh Series game against Hawthorn this week (Thursday), but I'll aim to play the second game, which is also against Hawthorn, the following week in Morwell.
"I'm pretty much back to full strength, which is something that has taken a while. I didn't run for 20 weeks after I broke my leg, but it's good to be back into it."
I had eight operations in eight or nine weeks, which wasn't much fun, but I've come out of the end of it pretty good
- Jarryn Geary
Meanwhile, Geary, who has played 209 games for the Saints, relished the opportunity on Sunday to get back to Canterbury Park - a ground that holds plenty of fond memories for him.
"This is a place where I spent a lot of my childhood, whether it was for footy or cricket," Geary said.
"It was certainly a second home growing up. I'd walk or ride my bike here and I always say to people who ask me who I barracked for when I was growing up that it was Eaglehawk.
"Being from the country I'd only get to one AFL game or so a year, so my footy heroes were Eaglehawk players... I use to love watching Damien Lock, Adam Rout leading out from full-forward, Reidy (Andrew Reid) rucking in the twos.
"They are great memories and every week I still make sure I look at the scores and see how they are going."
Geary's passion for Eaglehawk has left him torn though given the Hawks have played in three grand finals in a row against Strathfieldsaye, which has featured two of his brothers, Shannon and Kallen, in the opposition.
Have you signed up to the Bendigo Advertiser's daily newsletter and breaking news emails? You can register below and make sure you are up to date with everything that's happening in central Victoria.