JAEGER O'Meara took a major step forward in his recovery from a shocking knee injury, training with Gold Coast's main group for the first time on Thursday morning.

O'Meara ruptured his patella tendon in April 2015 and has not played at any level since. His last senior game was in the final round of 2014.

But a return draws closer after O'Meara completed the Suns' warm up and first two training drills at Metricon Stadium.

By his own admission, the West Australian's touch was slightly off, but after months of rehab, watching him join the main group was a pleasure for Suns players and coaches.

The injury list: Your club's sidelined players

"Can't wipe the smile off my face," O'Meara told the club's website.

"It was good just to get around the boys and just be a footy player again. It was really fun.

"In the grand scheme of things it's a really small step but for me, I haven't been able to train with the main group for a long time and even though I've got the orange hat on so no-one can touch me out there, it was still good just to be around the boys and have that camaraderie."

The next phase of O'Meara's rehab will include light agility work, jumping and more skills.

The club has been ultra cautious with a return date, letting O'Meara progress at his own rate.

Meanwhile, Jesse Joyce has been elevated from the rookie list to replace draftee Brayden Fiorini, who was placed on the long-term injury list on Thursday.