Defender Nathan Grima is determined to give himself every chance of putting his name up for selection at the pointy end of the season.

RELATED: Grima player profile

The 29-year-old is slowly increasing his rehabilitation training program after undergoing a second bout of back surgery in February to repair a bulging disc.

Grima said he is in the early phase of rehab, spending about two days a week at Arden Street.

"I’m not at the stage where I can do anything too difficult," Grima told Triple M’s Rush Hour on Thursday.

"(I’m) just doing a little bit of light running, some light weights and a lot of core and pilates."

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After enduring a litany of back, knee and foot injuries since being recruited by North in the 2007 rookie draft, Grima would be forgiven for being bereft of confidence.

But the 86-gamer is remaining steadfast in his resolve and said he has taken a different approach.

"In the past, I’d just get straight in my rehab and you’d find after a period of time you’d just get burnt out and you’d lose the passion for the game," he said.

"This time I’ve had a month off, gone in (the club) a couple of times for a month and it’s going into the stage now where I’ll have a six-week block where I’ll knuckle down and I’ll be able to attack that in the right frame of mind."

Grima said his biggest motivator remains being fully fit towards the latter stages of the season.

"With a bit of luck and what unfolds with the team over the next six to eight weeks, hopefully it sets me up with an opportunity to play some finals again this year," he said.

"I’ll give it all guns blazing and if it doesn’t eventuate to anything beyond just getting back and playing VFL, I’ll know I gave it every shot."