Six months after tearing his ACL, Declan Watson is in good spirits after reaching the half-way point on his road back to full fitness.

The 19-year-old’s AFL debut was put on hold after he suffered the injury during a routine training session.

“Last year we were doing a tackling drill,” Watson recalled. 

“... it was probably four weeks before the end of the season, and I had the footy, and I was running down the boundary and I went to step and I hyperextended my knee and popped it and ended up tearing my ACL.

“I felt the pop straight away.”

While the recovery process has gone to plan thus far, Watson knows the true test will be when his teammates take the field for the first time in 2018.

“The recovery process hasn’t really had too many challenges just yet,” he said.

“I think it’ll probably become a little bit more draining when all of the boys start playing and you’re just watching.”

Watson is continuing to push himself whilst recovering, by putting in countless hours of hard work in the gym to ensure he’s ready to go as soon as possible.

“I run Monday’s, Wednesday’s and Friday’s,” he said.

“I do a couple of 200 metre and 150 metre intervals, plus a lot of bike work, a bit of work on the elliptical, and then basically a swim during the day, plus couple of light skills.”

Seeing fellow defenders Daniel Nielson and Sam Durdin debut in 2017 is what’s driving Watson to make it back to his best.

“Seeing those boys debut was good, so it’s definitely motivation,” he added. 

“I keep it in the back of mind when I’m running up and down the field.”