Trent Dumont is the proud owner of a 100 per cent winning record at AFL level this season, with the midfielder recovering from a calf injury in time to take his place in the side for the weekend’s comeback victory against Hawthorn.
Suffering the injury over last year’s Christmas period, Dumont proved his fitness with two strong performances at VFL level before coming back into the senior side.
Finishing with a respectable 14 disposals, it was perhaps Dumont’s impact and leadership as another experienced head amongst a young group which was where his presence was felt most.
With his return coinciding with his 100th game at AFL level, the North number 14 says he can’t wait for the next milestone.
“My milestone games seem to be very successful for us, I haven’t lost one yet, so maybe we make a big song and dance about [game] 101,” Dumont told North Media.
“Firstly, for the group getting that feeling of what a win actually feels like is going to be massive for our young boys and going forward.
“We’ve been learning every week about how to get better … I think the second half of the year is going to look much brighter in regards to all that sort of stuff.”
Dumont’s injury record over his career is impressive, having not missed more than three games in a season since 2017.
With his now former calf problem being the first major soft tissue injury of his career, Dumont says the prospect of returning from injury was a new challenge for him.
“I had to go back to the drawing board, look at being as professional as possible … personally [it was] a bit of a journey,” he said.
“It’s strange when you can’t trust your body for a little bit, so I was happy to just be able to run flat out initially, so just enjoying those little steps along the way.
“Now to be back out on the AFL field is a really good feeling.”
Dumont is hopefully the first of a host of players to make their returns to the team in the coming weeks, with the likes of Robbie Tarrant, Jed Anderson, Jared Polec and Jaidyn Stephenson working hard to recover from their respective injuries.
He says while the absence of senior players this season has been difficult to deal with at times, it’s only going to aid in the development of the club’s young guns going forward.
“You take senior players from any side and it’s almost impossible to keep up with the competition,” Dumont added.
“It’s been awesome everyone getting an opportunity early and an understanding of the speed of the game and what’s required, but it’s also nice to have some senior players around them to help them along the way.
“We’ll have more experience and it’ll help the development of the younger boys and they’ll catch up faster … and help them with the journey.”
