09/05/2008 11:25 AM
At the start of this season Brisbane forward Daniel Bradshaw was just hoping his re-constructed knee would stand up to the rigours of the AFL.
After all there have been countless players who have undergone multiple knee re-constructions or at best taken at least 12 months to get back to their form, prior to suffering a serious knee injury.
But it says everything about the success of Bradshaw's comeback in 2008 from the injury that sidelined him for all of 2007 - that just seven matches into his return he finds himself chosen to play for Victoria in Saturday night's Hall of Fame match against The Dream Team at the MCG.
And with 30 goals in seven games this season - placing him third in the race for the Coleman Medal - it's hard to argue against Bradshaw's inclusion even though the Vics also have the past two Coleman Medal winners in Jonathan Brown and Brendan Fevola at their disposal as well as 2007 Norm Smith Medalist Steve Johnson.
But Bradshaw is certainly not taking his selection for granted.
"Hopefully I can get a game and it will be awesome to play alongside Fev, Browny, Steve Johnson and (Hawthorn's) Jarryd Roughead," he told Sportal.
"I still have to look around pinching myself to just believe I am out here (as part of the Victorian squad) and it has been an amazing few weeks."
"I certainly didn't think I would be in the squad playing for Victoria at the start of the year."
But while Bradshaw's stunning return from his knee injury - even his Brisbane coach Leigh Matthews has admitted this year it seems as if his twice leading goalkicker has never been away - has surprised many people, the man himself was always confident he would make a successful comeback.
"I did my rehabilitation very diligently and I had plenty of confidence in it (the knee) coming to start of the year," he said.
"Coming into the season I just wanted to play footy again and not put too much expectation (on myself) on how I was going to play."
"I just wanted to enjoy my footy and get back to playing and that might be part of it (his success) because I was just aiming to go out there and enjoy myself."
Now Bradshaw, who hails from the Victorian border town of Wodonga, can't wait to fulfill his life-long dream of pulling on the famous Big V Guernsey.
"I used to love watching Victoria play South Australia when I was young fellow and to think I am going to play (for Victoria) on Saturday night."
"It is such a massive honour and I just can't wait to get out there."