THERE have been quite a few good things to come out of the 2008 season down at Punt Rd, but Graham Polak’s injury has hung over the club like a black cloud for the second half of the year.

Polak was hit by a tram in late June, and has made the progression through intensive care to a normal ward to rehab to being home.

But the 24-year-old is far from out of the woods, and while coach Terry Wallace admits Polak's absence has caused some structural issues in the side, he said Polak's health was far more important.

"There was a period of time where we didn't know where that [his health] was sitting, we don't know where that sits at the top end of it, with being 100 per cent right, and I don't think anyone could give you any sort of clarity where that sits for the future,” Wallace said.

"It's great to see him here smiling and reasonably okay.

"He was at training again today, he was in the rooms on the weekend, so they're pleasing signs, to see him starting to come back.

"But where that goes for the future, I don't think any of us know."

Polak is contracted until the end of 2009, and while Wallace admitted a decision would have to be made on the Perth native once they had some good medical data, he said the loss of Polak on the ground had been keenly felt.

"Putting on my coach’s hat, we got him across as a player that we thought could have an impact and play at either end of the ground for us as a strong key-position player, right at the right age.

"When he went out of the side he was our second-leading contested mark player, and was starting to play some good footy for us.

"He hadn't absolutely established himself to the levels that we wanted, but we clearly saw signs that that was coming.

"Jack Riewoldt has probably not been quite the player in the last five or six weeks because he hasn't had as much support."