DALE Thomas is refusing to give away his season, with the Collingwood star expecting to be fully fit for this year's finals.
The midfielder had surgery on his troublesome right ankle in May, following an off-season procedure on the same ankle in November.
At the time, Thomas' initial recovery period was listed at 12 to 16 weeks, and he says he is on track to make it back in that projected period.
"All going to plan, hopefully, by the latter stages of the year, I'll be thereabouts," Thomas told AFL.com.au.
Thomas, out of contract at the end of this year, is aiming to play one or two games in the VFL when he returns to football with his sights set on returning in time for finals.
Thomas is planning to start running on Friday after parting ways with his moonboot last Wednesday.
After freshening up in Port Douglas over the bye period, Thomas has launched in to the "tedious" part of his rehabilitation.
Boxing and swimming sessions have been on the cards, which allow him to maintain his conditioning so that if he does return, he is ready to play his part.
"Rehab's the worst place to be but I've still got that light at the end of the tunnel that I'm chipping away at and working towards every day," Thomas said.
Despite setting himself such lofty goals, Thomas realises any setbacks could slow down his progress.
"If you achieve them (goals) – fantastic. If you fall just short you know you've given yourself every crack at trying to get there," he said.
Thomas is still involved in the day-to-day runnings of the football club. He sits in the coach's box on game day and has some input in to team reviews.
He gives advice to players in between quarters and sometimes chats to certain players during the week if he spots something when going through the game tape.
With Collingwood teetering in eighth position on the ladder, Thomas hopes his assistance can help improve the teammates around him.
Not only for their own development, but also to increase his chances being a part of Collingwood's finals campaign.
Ben Guthrie is a reporter for AFL Media. Follow him on Twitter @AFL_BenGuthrie
