HAMSTRING injuries have been the bane of Jono O'Rourke's AFL existence.

The problem was on the left leg first in his Greater Western Sydney days, then it was a jump to the right at the Hawks – to borrow a phrase from the 'Time Warp' ditty.

But it wasn't a laughing matter for O'Rourke, whose repeated setbacks to his right hamstring last year were so dire that surgery was a necessity.

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Out of contract at season's end in 2017, the 24-year-old was initially concerned his once-promising career was over.

Finally, in late October, after holidaying with teammates in New York, O'Rourke found out he had scored a fresh one-year contract, although that means he is still fighting for his AFL survival.

His profile on Hawthorn's website even includes this footnote: "It's probably the last chance for the former No.2 selection to stake a claim in the AFL."

O'Rourke's 2012 draft has had its share of hits and misses. Those days feel like "a lifetime ago" to the Hawk.

It's good to be back playing out there

The Giants picked Lachie Whitfield and Lachie Plowman either side of him, while Joe Daniher, Ollie Wines, Jake Stringer, Jack Macrae and Nick Vlastuin were other top-10 choices.

But Jimmy Toumpas, Troy Menzel, Kristian Jaksch and Ben Kennedy are among the first-round picks that year that haven't worked out, and the hamstring curse has afflicted Taylor Garner, like O'Rourke.

"It obviously hasn't gone great," O'Rourke told AFL.com.au, in a frank reflection on his career to date.

"I haven't had a good run at it or an opportunity to put my foot forward from a young age. I've been hampered with injuries, then trying to push to get senior selection has been tough.

"But you learn a lot about yourself and footy as well, going through it all, so it goes quick, but it's just one of those things – that's footy sometimes and you've just got to keep pushing."

O'Rourke, who is studying a Bachelor of Business at Swinburne University, insists his hammies feel good and the surgery might be "a blessing in disguise" despite the heartache it caused.

He also said testing showed his many hamstring injuries – he twice damaged the tendon on his left leg and once on his right, among smaller setbacks – hadn't robbed him of his pace.

For now, O'Rourke is back in Hawthorn's senior line-up and preparing to mount an undeniable case that the decision-makers at Waverley Park simply must retain him beyond this season.

The 20-gamer's round 16 appearance against the Western Bulldogs three weeks ago was his first AFL match in 700 days.

An adductor problem suffered late in the Thursday training session a week later kept him out again, but he returned and won 19 disposals in the Hawks' 72-point drubbing of Carlton last Sunday.

"It's good to be back playing out there," he said.

"Last year I couldn't get on the track at all, because I kept doing my (right) hamstring.

"Then earlier this year I got to play some VFL football, put together some games and felt like I was playing pretty consistently, so it's good to get an opportunity to play at the top level."

O'Rourke's choice to depart Greater Western Sydney at the end of his automatic two-year draftee deal in 2014 wasn't the easy one many might believe.

He actually enjoyed his time in the Harbour City and retains close friendships with many of the playing group, particularly Stephen Coniglio and Jon Patton.

But O'Rourke's injury hardship from the get-go – a broken jaw and separate shoulder and hamstring issues ruined his first season – meant having family and friends nearby was paramount.

"It's important to get away from football sometimes, which was hard to do in Sydney, because all my mates were from football," he said.

"In saying that, you have to be around the club a fair bit to get yourself right to play, so it's a fine line."

O'Rourke's healthiest year in his six on an AFL list was his first in brown and gold in 2015, with the Hawks on their way to a third premiership in a row.

He managed just two senior matches, 15 rounds apart, playing behind stars such as Sam Mitchell, Jordan Lewis, Isaac Smith, Bradley Hill and Liam Shiels.

O'Rourke instead played in the VFL Grand Final, alongside the likes of James Sicily, Jed Anderson, Will Langford, Teia Miles, Brendan Whitecross, Dave Mirra, Jon Ceglar, Tim O'Brien and Dan Howe.

He is yet to compete in an AFL final, something that could realistically change in the coming weeks, given Hawthorn sits eighth entering round 19.

"You want to play finals footy and potentially play in the Grand Final, so it definitely drives you harder," O'Rourke said.

"I've seen the boys get that success in 2015 and you definitely want to be part of that one day."