WESTERN Bulldogs ruckman Jordan Roughead is confident he has finally put his shoulder problems behind him and is looking forward to finishing off this season strongly. 

The 20-year-old has endured two shoulder reconstructions in his short career - the first at end of the 2009, and the second after last season.

After a heavy fall while playing  in the VFL earlier this year he feared the worst, but scans later revealed he had injured his AC joint - and his shoulder had remained intact.

He missed one VFL game, then Williamstown had a bye, and then Roughead returned to play the next six for the Seagulls until this week's recall to the seniors.

Now, on the eve of his return to AFL level for the Dogs' round 19 clash with West Coast at Etihad Stadium, Roughead is looking ahead to the final five games of the year with determination.

"I'd never had an issue with the shoulder until my first year at the footy club ... then I had a reco, and then again the next year I kept dislocating it and had to go under the knife again," he told westernbulldogs.com.au this week.

"When I hurt my AC joint, the shoulder itself didn't dislocate so that was a good sign.

"I think I'm pretty much over the shoulder the now. I've spent enough time in rehab."

At the end of this year, Roughead is poised to complete a full pre-season without surgery dictating his program for the first time since being recruited with selection No.31 in the 2008 NAB AFL Draft.

He believes the opportunity to participate in a full complement of summer training will help him make significant inroads in 2011.

"It will be good to come back into a pre-season and lift weights and run properly," he said.

"It's pretty frustrating when you're sitting in the medical room doing all the rehab and the guys are out there running up hills.

"It will be good to get a better tank and be able to run a bit harder throughout games, and get into the heavy weights as early as I can."

Roughead has spent this season trying to improve both his ability to compete against bigger and more experienced ruckman, and his forward line skills.

He says after a "disappointing start", he has finally started to see it coming together after kicking three goals in Williamstown's win over Werribee last Sunday.

"Particularly in the last couple of weeks down at Williamstown I've taken a few more marks in the forward line and definitely in the ruck I've been getting back into the heavier weights after a pre-season of lifting light weights," he said.

"It's improved my strength, and myself and Will [Minson] had a good hit-out on the weekend against Werribee and [North Melbourne ruckman] Hamish McIntosh, and I think I held my own pretty well there.

"Everything is going pretty well. I've had a bit of a disappointing last couple of months in terms of form but I'm starting to turn that around now.

"I've been working really hard and hopefully I've got my chance for the rest of the year, and I can have a strong run home."

Off the field, Roughead is about halfway through an online personal training course, which he hopes to complete later this year.

He said he aimed see firsthand what it would be like to work in the fitness industry when this season is done and dusted. 

"It's something good to have when I'll be looking for work," he said.

"It will be good to go and work in a gym for a bit and get a bit of experience out in the field."

Jennifer Witham covers Western Bulldogs' news for afl.com.au. Follow her on Twitter @AFL_JenWitham.