“The ankle is feeling really good.”

They’re the words that Hawthorn fans have been wanting to hear out of Tom Scully’s mouth since the club recruited the midfielder in October last year. 

Read: All the injury news ahead of Round 1

After a haze of uncertainty had clouded the best part of the former Giant’s first five months as a Hawk, Scully is now within two to three weeks of playing his first game in Hawks colours.

The 27-year-old said it was rewarding to feel the recovery process nearing an end. 

“I’m just excited,” Scully said.

“When you get something taken away from you in terms of your job and what you want to do, it certainly puts things into perspective. 

“It’s certainly made me appreciate the game even more and I’ll never be taking it for granted.” 

Scully, who played 31 games for Melbourne before making 121 appearances for the Giants across seven seasons, admitted he was unsure what to expect when he first arrived at Hawthorn.

“There was certainly an element of the unknown. 

“Coming to Hawthorn, there was that question of when I would play again. 

“But I’ve had a really clear plan from the start working with the medical team and the fitness staff have been fantastic.” 

The on-baller said the next few weeks will be centred around continuing to build his endurance base ahead of his return to the field.

Scully is known for his ability to break the lines, with his presence on Hawthorn’s wing a tantalising prospect for his coaches and teammates. 

“I’m just relishing the opportunity to hopefully play some footy over the next couple of weeks.”