Twelve months is a long time in football as they say, but if you’re coming back from an injury it can be an especially long journey.

Take 21-year-old Roarke Smith, who crumpled to the Etihad Stadium turf during the third quarter of a JLT Community Series game in early 2017 - his second serious knee injury in his three seasons at the Club. 

It was devastating blow for a player of such promise, so early in his career, but then there he was, almost a year to the day, running out onto Allianz Stadium on the weekend for his first game of competitive football since the injury.

And didn’t he love being back out there.  As always, he was hard to miss with his long blonde hair and boyish enthusiasm for a game that had been cruelly taken away too many times already.

“It was a lot fun, I’ve missed it so much,” he told westernbulldogs.com.au from Sydney.

‘’Twelve months is a long time and to be with the young boys who I get along with really well it was fun and enjoyable to be doing it with them.’’

The last time most Dogs fans would have seen Smith was against Essendon back in Round 22, 2016 where he picked up 12 touches at an impressive 91% across half back.  He also added three score involvements, two inside 50s and two rebound 50s and would finish off his year as a member of the 2016 VFL premiership team.

With his first game now behind him his eyes are firmly on the upcoming JLT fixtures and the season proper.

“I really want to get into the JLT games and play them and show the coaches I can play and I’m ready to go,” he said.

“Hopefully I can play one or two, have a good crack and then time will tell [what comes next].”

The Bulldogs open their JLT Community Series campaign against Hawthorn on March 3 at Mars Stadium in Ballarat.