AARON Black is confident the groin problems that have dogged him for the past year and a half are almost behind him.

Black was one of the most highly-touted key forwards in the 2009 NAB AFL Draft and many football followers were surprised when the West Australian fell to North Melbourne at pick No. 25. 

Black started experiencing groin pain shortly after North's training camp on the Gold Coast last January. Although he was initially able to manage his condition, by half-time of his first game that season he could "barely walk".

At its worst, Black's condition was so bad he was in pain even when he lay in bed. Not surprisingly, he was only able to manage three VFL reserves games for the year.

But, after having surgery on his left adductor and pubic bone last August, Black has painstakingly worked his way back to fitness.

He has played the past 10 VFL games with North Ballarat's senior side, kicking 17 goals, including bags of four against Werribee in round four - his first game back - and in the Roosters' most recent match against Sandringham in round 14.

Black spoke with kangaroos.com.au after training at Aegis Park on Wednesday and said he hoped to be back to full fitness within two months.

"I'm about 90 per cent I reckon. From now to only two months ago when I first started back playing, it has improved that much," Black said.

"Just with little things I'm starting to see signs. I feel a little stronger in body contests and in running I'm getting up to top speed now. It's only been the last four or five weeks that I could start to really body up in marking contests.

"But they reckon it takes 12 to 18 months (after groin surgery) before the pain goes away completely, and I'm coming up to 10 months now, so hopefully in the next month or two I should be right."

It's been a long road back to fitness for Black, one that has centred on building his core strength. For the first five to six months after his operation, Black worked almost solely on this every day. Even now, he still does core strengthening exercises three times a week.

In a sign of how much stronger he's got, he started doing adductor slide exercises with a weight of 1kg but has now built that up to 18kg.

Embarking on a long-term rehabilitation program can be as tough mentally as it is physically. But Black said he was helped in this regard by senior teammate Daniel Wells, who had similar surgery a year earlier.

"I was hassling Wellsy all the time, asking him stuff like 'What was your pain like? What's the best thing I should be doing?," Black said.

"It's been good. Wellsy helped me out a lot. It definitely helps having someone else there."

However, Black said nothing could have prepared him for the shock of how much his match-fitness had dropped off after a year out of the game.

"You do that much swimming and bike riding that you think, 'My fitness shouldn’t be too bad'. But once you're back in a game you soon find out it's absolutely shocking, you're that far behind."

Black said he played just 50 per cent game time in his first match back but had gradually built that up.

Most importantly, he has been able to achieve the major goal North set for him this season - to play consistent games. 

But Black is fully aware three other members of North's 2009 draft class - Ben Cunnington, Ryan Bastinac and Jamie Macmillan - have all had a taste of AFL football.

And, although he realises he needs to be patient, he is hopeful he can make his senior debut this season.   

"That's what we're here for. Most of the boys in my draft have played, which definitely pushes you," he said.

"I've started pretty much a year behind but I'd love to get a game and stay in the side."

It's been widely reported Black was an outstanding junior basketballer who gave up US college scholarship offers to concentrate on football. Although he has ready access to an indoor basketball court at Aegis Park - where the Melbourne Tigers also train - Black says he avoids anything more strenuous than the occasional casual shoot around, conscious of not aggravating his groins on hard surfaces.

Despite not having played seriously for more than three years, Black is confident he would have former Australian under-19 representative Todd Goldstein's measure on the court.

"I think I'd be a bit too evasive for him, I'd just run around him all day," Black joked.

Although not part of North's record 117-point loss to Collingwood last week, Black said everyone at the club had banded together this week to acknowledge what they had to work on, and to get on with it.

"Most people don't see the behind-the-goal vision (from matches) and it's just really little things we've got to fine tune," Black said.

"If we get those things right, we should really improve and hopefully can push to play finals."