MELBOURNE'S Ricky Petterd admits a rigorous pre-season has enabled him to rebuild confidence in his body as he enters 2012. "I think over the past few years I've been a bit worried with my body and probably didn't have enough faith in it," said Petterd.

However this pre-season he rode out any worries and is seeing the benefits. "There were a lot of times in previous years I was getting brought out of training for being sore or having something tight. My body is a lot better this year and I'm able to get through those time trials and intraclub games with no worries. That gives me a lot of confidence," said Petterd.

Over summer he has completed 90 per cent of training, including every session since Christmas and set a personal best of two minutes 56 seconds for his one kilometre time trial.

On Saturday night, Petterd will put his renewed faith in his body to the test as he returns to his hometown to play football on the Gold Coast for the first time since joining Melbourne. Petterd played with Surfers Paradise juniors and then Broadbeach seniors after his family moved from Hobart when he was seven years old.

Funnily enough for a man who admits he was a bit cautious in recent seasons, Petterd was renowned for pushing through pain when a standout junior in the sunshine state. Occasionally he even frustrated coaches with his reluctance to reveal injuries or niggles because he just wanted to play. That approach extended to his first couple of seasons in the AFL when all he wanted to do was train. "I think that hurt me in the end," admits Petterd.

When injuries and bad luck piled on top of each other it would have been natural for anyone to become gun-shy. In Petterd's case much of the luck he has seen has been bad luck.

His lung collapsed during a game in 2007 and he nearly lost his life, then he suffered a dislocated shoulder just when he was gaining some momentum in 2010. He seems to have copped every red light that exists on football's highway. Since making his debut in 2007 his longest uninterrupted run of games is just nine in a total that now extends to 50.

Perhaps it explains why his 2012 objective is understated. "I just hope to stay fit," said Petterd.

From there, hopefully, the rest will follow. He has already shown he is capable of changing games, shaping as a player that just makes something happen. Last year he was nominated for mark of the year against the Bulldogs and applied 14 tackles in a game against Richmond. While he wants to be remembered for more than highlights, he is yet to establish enough momentum to make the most of his talent for reading the play and kicking the important goal.

He has been training to play forward in 2012 but it's his flexibility that shapes as a real asset for Melbourne.

As a junior Petterd often played across half-back and he has a good defensive pedigree. His father Wayne 'Pedro' Petterd was not only a centre half-back with great hands in two premierships at Hobart but the heart and soul of the Tasmanian club in his 240 games. Before being drafted the two worked together as Ricky got his hands dirty alongside his father as a renderer on the Gold Coast. On winter weekends the teenager played on the wing and in the midfield with Broadbeach seniors.

Petterd doesn't only attract the footy, he has also attracted a fair share of headlines in his half century of games. Last year he was fined for expressing his views via Twitter about teammate Jack Trengove's suspension for slinging and he was also unfortunately on the receiving end of some irrational sledging from the Eagles' Patrick McGinnity that led to the Eagle apologising. 

Petterd moved on quickly from the McGinnity incident late in the year but admits he's hoping to avoid such headlines this season. "Hopefully the next 50 [games] are a little bit smoother, a bit injury free and a little bit paper free," said Petterd.

The experiences have not made him afraid to speak his mind however. He has had no hesitation in publicly declaring that he voted for Jack Grimes and Trengove to be the club's new leaders.

"I think it was probably necessary for where we're at. They are unbelievably professional young men and I reckon they can take us forward in the next few years," he said.

As can Petterd. He knows this year shapes as an important one for him personally but he has confidence in his body now to play any role he is asked to do. After all he has experienced up until now he deserves enough luck to fulfil that modest ambition. "[It's] not panic stations for me yet," he said. "I definitely want to play a role."

Peter Ryan is a reporter on AFL Media. Follow him on Twitter@AFL_petryan