ENDURING two knee reconstructions before making your debut is enough to test the mental strength of any aspiring AFL footballer and that's what happened to Hawthorn youngster, Alex Woodward.

The thing is, he passed the test with flying colours.

Drafted from Sandringham Dragons with pick 53 in the 2011 National Draft, the inside midfielder was viewed as the “pick” of Hawthorn’s draft crop heading into his first season on the list.

It wasn’t long after, however, that his dream was turned on its head.

Woodward ruptured his anterior cruciate ligament during the NAB Cup in 2012 and was forced to spend his entire first season in rehabilitation.

It was an undoubted setback but it wasn’t long before he showed great character and the attributes on which the Hawthorn culture has been built.

He attacked his setback with positivity and showed he had a good head on his shoulders. He immediately became a favourite within the Ricoh Centre and among fans keen to see what he can produce.

The now 20 year old was a player many watched closely in the lead-up to season 2013, excited to see him back at full fitness and ready to make an impact.

Then, at a routine pre-season training session in January the injury curse hit again as he went down with his second torn ACL.

Another year was spent on the sidelines, this time forced to watch as his teammates achieved the ultimate success.

Surely then he would allow himself to wonder, to dream of what could have been.

But that’s not the way he saw it.

Determined to attack his rehabilitation with the right attitude, Woodward remained upbeat and a positive influence on the playing group and around the Club throughout his injuries.

“Obviously it has been a really tough start to my footy career – as a young player all you want to do is jump in and make an impact as soon as you can but that wasn’t the case for me,” he told hawthornfc.com.au

“(But) everyone comments on how positive I’ve been throughout my rehab and that’s what I want.

“I want good feedback like that because I don’t want to be a source of negativity around the Club for the other boys, especially when they’re playing games.”

It has been almost two years since Woodward has played a competitive match. It’s not the way he envisioned his first two seasons at Hawthorn would unfold.

But, he has made the best of it and taken the opportunity to learn valuable lessons in how to keep a balanced lifestyle while pursuing his AFL dream.  

In 2013 he enrolled in a Bachelor of Business with Deakin University to help teach him how to maintain a balanced lifestyle and a clear mind despite the bad luck he’d been dealt.

When his luck finally turns around too, he hopes it will help him play better footy.

“I did a lot of study in 2013, which I think helped balance my lifestyle and kept me away from focusing just on the fact that I wasn’t playing footy last year. I think that’s really important for me, coming off two knee recos,” he said.

“Last year will hold me in good stead. I’ve put myself up for uni again this year so I definitely think keeping that up will help me keep that balance you need.”

Now, back into full training and hoping to play during the NAB Challenge in the lead-up to season 2014, Woodward is as confident as ever in his body.

“The knee is feeling really good, which is really exciting for me. I’m fully confident in it,” he said.

“I’m starting to do some full training now, which is the last box I have to tick going into games.

“From my perspective, I’m really excited to finally be out there with the boys.”

While he’s excited, Woodward knows still there is a long way to go.

“I’m excited but I’m very focused as well,” he said.

“I still need to tick some boxes, obviously full training is the major one but games are just around the corner so I’m maybe a little bit excited.”