Roarke Smith has endured more than the average league footballer.

The promising 21-year-old, recruited as a Rookie in 2014, has ruptured his ACL twice during his time at VU Whitten Oval - once in August 2015, and again in the JLT Community Series in March this year.

At season’s end Smith was given an AFL lifeline. He was delisted in October after two senior appearances in three seasons, but the Club committed to re-drafting the former Calder Cannon, selecting him with pick 26 in Monday’s NAB AFL Rookie Draft.

“Obviously I’ve had a few knee problems, but they (the club) see something in me and hopefully I can stay injury free and play a few games,” Smith told westernbulldogs.com.au.

The right ACL injury sustained during the Bulldogs' match against Brisbane cruelled Smith’s 2017 season before it had started and denied Bulldogs fans the chance to see more from the high-flying half-back.

“It was devastating. I was very heartbroken – just the week before round one.

“It made it a bit easier because it was the second ACL and I’ve done all the recovery before, (but) mentally it was probably harder to get over just knowing I wasn’t going to play a game throughout the whole of 2017.”

“Nick Stone my rehab coach really helped me. I’d probably be nowhere without him.”

Robert Murphy was one of Smith’s rehabilitation partners in 2016 as he returned from his first knee reconstruction, and Smith credits the former Dogs captain as just one of many teammates who helped during his rehabilitation.

Now, Smith is back at training and looking ahead to 2018.

“At the moment I’m running and out on the track with the boys training – it’s no body contact, so I’m not allowed to get tackled or anything, no agility as well. By January I should be into full training and hopefully I’m ready for the season ahead.”

Smith said the standard has been set for his teammates this pre-season, with a new-look Leadership Group and the retirements of former captain Bob Murphy and Matthew Boyd, the opportunity was there for the younger players to step forward.

“It’s a chance for the younger players to step up as new leaders. We have new players in the leadership group as well who are ready to step up. It’s sort of got to be the whole team who steps up.

“It doesn’t matter if you’re 18 or 30 we all have to be leaders on and off the field.”