AFTER 11 months out of the game, Jake Lever could be just nine days away from making his return to football.

The defender, who ruptured his anterior crucial ligament in Round 11 of the 2018 season, is eyeing a comeback next week, with the desire to run out with the Casey Demons in the VFL.

“It is a pretty exciting time,” Lever told Melbourne Media.

“I’m a couple of weeks away from playing, so I can finally see the light at the end of the tunnel now.

“It’s going to be an interesting week next week for me, preparing to play. I haven’t done that for a while now, so I’m really looking forward it.”

The 23-year-old has taken big steps in his recovery in recent weeks, re-joining the main training group and growing his own confidence.

“I think the first time you do something like that, you’re a little bit anxious and a little bit worried,” he said.

“Once I was doing the wrestling and the tackling with all of the boys, it just felt like a normal training session again.”

Lever is now edging closer to his official comeback, with the aim to just get some match fitness under his belt at VFL level.

“The first thing will just be to make sure I get through the game,” he said.

“It’s just more about that contact of bodies – whether that’s for a half or for three quarters – whatever I play.

“I think it’s really just important to get that contact work in.”

The former Crow has played just 11 games in the red and blue and isn’t sure how long he will have to wait to get back into the senior side.

“I haven’t really talked to Goody (Simon Goodwin) or the medical staff in terms of how many games I have to play in the VFL before I’m available for selection,” he said.

“I think it’s more just about when I go back to VFL level, I find my feet.

“If that takes one game, two games, three games – whatever it is, just making sure I’m ready to go.”