GREATER Western Sydney veteran Josh Kelly will travel to Ireland next week to take the next step towards a return from a career-threatening hip injury, while key defender Jack Buckley has just returned from an intensive rehab block with Dr Enda King.
Kelly underwent a minor procedure during the off-season to remove scar tissue from his hip, which delayed his visit to Dublin, and will then gradually integrate into training across the pre-season.
The 31-year-old hasn't played since the 2025 elimination final loss to Hawthorn, missing the 2026 season after undergoing hip resurfacing surgery – the drastic operation Sir Andy Murray famously underwent to save his tennis career – last November.
Kelly has been eyeing a return early in 2027 since resuming running a few months ago, but the Giants don't have a clear timeline just yet.
Buckley didn't play again in 2026 after round 11 due to a long-term hamstring injury and will follow a modified training program this side of Christmas.
The 28-year-old spent a week working with King, who is head of elite performance and development at Aspetar in Doha, Qatar, and considered one of the most sought-after sports physiotherapists in the world.
Last week, King put Collingwood's Jamie Elliott, Reef McInnes and Oscar Steene through an intensive five-day rehabilitation block in Dublin, with the Magpies trio all recovering from knee reconstructions.
Fresh from inking a two-year contract extension ahead of what would have been his free agency season, Tom Green trained with Adam Kingsley's squad on Monday when the club's first-to-fourth-year players reported back for pre-season.
Green missed all of 2026 after tearing his anterior cruciate ligament on February 13 and will follow a modified program this side of Christmas.
But along with Finn Callaghan, who missed the end of the season due to ankle surgery, Green will be ready to be let off the chain when the Giants return for training after the Christmas break.
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