Adelaide ruckman Ben Hudson has set himself a date for his return to the AFL, but he is not revealing it publicly, saying only that it will be 'sooner rather than later' and before next season's finals.
"Yeah, hopefully some time next year," Hudson said before another exercise session on his right knee at AAMI Stadium on Tuesday.
"I don't reckon I could train the whole year and miss out on footy. If I put a date on it, I think I'll either upset me or upset others. I think I've set one in my mind, but I don't know if I want to share it with everyone. So, at the moment, I've just got to tick all the boxes and hopefully be back sooner rather than later.
"There are some boring times out there behind closed doors in the sweat room. But you've just got to do it - put your head down and break it down into days and weeks rather than look at it as a 12-month injury.
"I try to be friendly but I suppose there are times when you yell and scream a bit because you are pretty bored and want something else to do. But you just plug away at it."
Hudson had surgery 16 weeks ago - on Sunday, August 14, the day after rupturing the anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee when he tackled Port Adelaide's Josh Mahoney late in the final quarter of the round-20 showdown at AAMI Stadium.
"So far, so good," he said. "I've been running on the treadmill for about three weeks now. Hopefully before Christmas I might get outside on the bike.
"Other than that, it's a bit of swimming, a bit of bike, a bit of stair climbing. It's not too exciting but I'm getting there slowly.
"I haven't had any complications, so I suppose it's coming along nicely. I hadn't done a knee so I can't compare it with anything else.
"Once I've done the rehab and if I'm right to go, I think I'm going to be right to go. If I'm thinking it's going to go, chances are it will. Mentally, I think that's more the battle than physically because if you are out there doubting yourself, especially in the AFL, you'll get found out pretty hard."
A qualified physiotherapist, Hudson will be 27 on February 24. He signed a new two-year contract with Adelaide last June.
The hard-working 199-centimetre left-footer played 20 matches this year to take his AFL tally to 33 since he was the Crows' third selection (No. 58 overall) in the 2003 draft - from VFL club Werribee.
"Yeah, hopefully some time next year," Hudson said before another exercise session on his right knee at AAMI Stadium on Tuesday.
"I don't reckon I could train the whole year and miss out on footy. If I put a date on it, I think I'll either upset me or upset others. I think I've set one in my mind, but I don't know if I want to share it with everyone. So, at the moment, I've just got to tick all the boxes and hopefully be back sooner rather than later.
"There are some boring times out there behind closed doors in the sweat room. But you've just got to do it - put your head down and break it down into days and weeks rather than look at it as a 12-month injury.
"I try to be friendly but I suppose there are times when you yell and scream a bit because you are pretty bored and want something else to do. But you just plug away at it."
Hudson had surgery 16 weeks ago - on Sunday, August 14, the day after rupturing the anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee when he tackled Port Adelaide's Josh Mahoney late in the final quarter of the round-20 showdown at AAMI Stadium.
"So far, so good," he said. "I've been running on the treadmill for about three weeks now. Hopefully before Christmas I might get outside on the bike.
"Other than that, it's a bit of swimming, a bit of bike, a bit of stair climbing. It's not too exciting but I'm getting there slowly.
"I haven't had any complications, so I suppose it's coming along nicely. I hadn't done a knee so I can't compare it with anything else.
"Once I've done the rehab and if I'm right to go, I think I'm going to be right to go. If I'm thinking it's going to go, chances are it will. Mentally, I think that's more the battle than physically because if you are out there doubting yourself, especially in the AFL, you'll get found out pretty hard."
A qualified physiotherapist, Hudson will be 27 on February 24. He signed a new two-year contract with Adelaide last June.
The hard-working 199-centimetre left-footer played 20 matches this year to take his AFL tally to 33 since he was the Crows' third selection (No. 58 overall) in the 2003 draft - from VFL club Werribee.
