Jack's just hoping it's third time lucky.
By JAKE BOURKE
NOBODY could begrudge Jack Ziebell if all he wanted for Christmas was a little bit of luck.
Two seasons at the top level, two broken legs.
Despite his horrendous run with injury since being drafted by North Melbourne, you won't find the Wodonga-raised youngster asking for any special treatment.
Taken with pick 9 in the 2008 National Draft, Ziebell burst onto the AFL scene in scintillating fashion the following year with several strong performances, so strong in fact that Dean Laidley, the Kangaroos coach at the time, labelled him a "superstar in the making" after just seven senior games.
However, it all came to a grinding halt in round 12 at AAMI Stadium when Ziebell broke the fibula in his right leg against the Adelaide Crows.
After doing all the hard work that was required to get back onto the park this year, Ziebell began to show the same positive signs that had plenty of football experts singing his praises once again.
But the Wodonga youngster's trademark attack on the ball was again his own undoing in 2010, when Ziebell fractured the tibia in the same leg he'd broken almost a year earlier, this time in a collision with Travis Varcoe on a slippery day in Geelong in round 14.
Sure, if he had torn his hamstring or tweaked his groin then you could possibly blame a lack of match preparation or due medical care.
But two leg fractures? That's just rotten luck.
But you won't find Ziebell complaining about it.
"That's footy sometimes I suppose and I don't expect anything less," Ziebell said.
"When it first happened my goal was to get back in time for finals but we didn't quite make that.
"Hopefully I don't do it again but if I do then we'll sort it out."
A rather diplomatic and honest answer but those who know Ziebell won't be surprised.
When the Wodonga prodigy was first drafted, the words "leadership", "courage" and "determination" were the first things attached to his player profile.
After spending a couple of minutes with the former Wodonga Bulldog it's easy to see why.
Entering just his third year in the AFL, Ziebell could be forgiven for focusing solely on getting his body right and worrying about finding his place at the top level.
But all the 19 year old, yes he is still only 19, wants to do is help improve the Kangaroos in anyway he can.
"(As a club) we want to build on last year and make sure that we are better," Ziebell said.
"If I can help the younger blokes who have been drafted with their development through my experiences then that is going to make us a better side.
"Hopefully, we can make finals next year and a few of the young blokes can get a bit of September action which would be good for the side."
Your average punter would often assume that the first year in the system would be the hardest but it's often far from the truth.
When a player is first brought into the whirlwind world of the AFL, they are often nurtured and held back to protect them from over-training and potential injury.
However, once the new bunch of draftees are brought in, the second-year players are no longer afforded the same luxuries they may have previously been given.
Ziebell admits the second year of life as an AFL footballer was tough but, again, you won't find him complaining.
"The second year was probably a little bit harder," he said.
"There is probably a little bit more expected of you as well.
"But I also expect more of myself each year as well and I expect myself to be a better player.
"Third year in, if you can get through a preseason like I have now and can hopefully get through the rest of it without getting injured, then that sets you up nicely.
"This is as fit as I have been since I've been at the club and I'm really looking forward to getting stuck into next year."
The Roos missed out on finals action by nothing more than percentage last season and a fully fit Ziebell, who hasn't missed a training session since returning from injury, says the boys from Arden Street have both eyes firmly focused on going a few steps better in 2011.
"We've been pretty flat out but it's been good," he said.
"Day one in Utah (North Melbourne's preseason camp) I did everything and I haven't missed a session since which has been good.
"(Next year) we'll get blokes like Drew Petrie and Liam Anthony back, who are a couple of the most important players in our team, and if we play like we did last year with them back then I don't think we'll be too far away."
The 2008 Murray Bushrangers premiership player also took a moment to praise the drafting efforts of his home region, with several footballers from the North East having success in the AFL.
Five former Bushies call Arden Street home and Ziebell says he enjoys having a few locals alongside him when he dons the blue and white stripes.
"North certainly aren't shy from drafting from the Murray region are they?," he laughed.
"It's good though to get a few boys from up here down there and it's always been pretty traditional for North to draft from this area."
Ziebell says he has also been impressed by the most recent Murray edition to the Kangaroos clan, Corryong teenager Shaun Atley.
"He has done very well, he's a very impressive young man," Ziebell said.
"He's come into training and trained really well.
"Hopefully he can slot straight into the side next year and help us out because we could really use an outside midfielder like him with his pace and dash."
With an underwhelming 13th-place finish in 2009 to go with their narrow finals miss this season, the Kangaroos, like Ziebell, will be hoping it's a case of third time lucky in 2011.