North Melbourne forward Cameron Zurhaar says he’s feeling no signs of his season-ending injury from 2018, as he returns to main training with a vengeance.
“I’m feeling good. My fitness is there, it’s just getting back into training and getting use to games now,” Zurhaar told North Media.
“I’ve played three match simulations, and I got through all of them without any injuries and I kicked a couple of goals last week.
“My ankle’s all good, I’m not worried about it and the docs aren’t worried about it, so there’s no problems with that.”
Zurhaar, who has managed nine games as a rookie in two years, is hopeful he can lock down a spot in North’s forward 50 in 2019.
He hopes his aggression, a feature of his game, will hold him in good stead as he looks to find a permanent spot in the 22.
“It’s something that comes naturally to me. Hitting the contest hard is just the way I play my footy,” he said.
The 20-year-old played five games last season, before being struck down with a season-ending injury against the Suns in Round 16.
This year, an extended run is at the forefront of Zurhaar’s mind.
“I think if I play VFL, I’ll play more in the midfield, and if I get the chance to play AFL, maybe a couple of minutes in the middle there too.
“I definitely want to work on that aspect of my game. It would be a lot better for me if I was more versatile.”
Signing a two-year contract extension towards the end of last season, the forward is ready to repay the faith from the club.
“It feels good that I’ve got a two-year contract,” Zurhaar added.
“I’m feeling good. I finally got back playing games in the past three weeks. The body’s starting to feel good, I feel fresh, but pre-season takes a lot out of you.
“You definitely blow up in your first game because you’re just not use to it. You can do all the running in the world, but match simulation is a lot different to rehab running.
“I’m just glad that the club showed faith in me and now I can play confidently this year, build into next year and hopefully get a lot of games under my belt.”
