CARLTON utility Andrew Walker could be back playing in eight weeks following the success of the latest surgery to correct a recurring shoulder injury.

Walker, 22, has suffered repeated dislocations over the past three years and re-injured the joint in a practice match with VFL affiliate the Northern Bullants in early April sparking fears for his 2009 campaign.

But successful bone graft surgery on April 8 has the unlucky Blue gunning for a late-season return. 

"This stupid right shoulder of mine, it just wouldn't stay in, but the surgeon has told me that you'd basically need a tractor to pull the thing out now," Walker told carltonfc.com.au.

"If I can go out [and play] with those words then I'm going to be as confident as ever.

"I'm only about two weeks off training again which is great. I'd like to be back playing in two or three weeks, but I know the doctors won't let me do that.

"Worst-case scenario it's probably eight weeks which is a lot sooner than was first thought."

Since the shoulder was initially damaged, in a seemingly innocuous off-the-ball wrestle with Hawthorn's Jordan Lewis in 2007, Walker has undergone two cartilage anchoring procedures, but doctors decided on a different approach this time around.

"I had a bone graft done which I've never had before," Walker explained.

"What they do is take a piece of bone from a different part of your shoulder where it's not a contact surface area and they pull that up onto the front of the capsule which is where you're most vulnerable to dislocations.

"So basically they put a three centimetre piece of bone on the front of my shoulder to give me a bit more depth there because I've actually got pretty shallow shoulder joints.

"They try the cartilage anchoring first because you can get a full range of motion back, but this operation does restrict you a little bit which is why I haven't had it done before."

Walker, one of Carlton’s fittest players, began running just over three weeks after the operation and reported no major drop-off in fitness. In further good news he hasn't experienced any noticeable change in his range of motion in the joint either.

The operation could see the second overall pick at the 2003 NAB AFL Draft mirror last season when he provided a late-season boost to the line-up in round 16 after returning from another stint of rehab on the shoulder.