HOW HAS the week been since last Monday's loss to Hawthorn?

Paul Wheatley: It hasn't been the greatest start to the season, but we're still positive and looking forward to this Sunday against Geelong. We know we're going to be without "Neita" (David Neitz) and "Robbo" (Russell Robertson) up forward and now (Jared) Rivers down back, so it's going to be a good challenge for us. It's been a long time since we've played a match without "Neita" and "Robbo", but the guys coming in have been in good form at Sandringham, so we'll have some fresh players.

On a personal note, how rewarding was it to finally play your 100th AFL match last round?

I was really happy to reach 100 games. Last season wasn't great with injury and it was a draining year. I couldn't train properly and I couldn't move. My back wasn't good and it took a long while to recover. I did my hammy, was crook for a few weeks and I also broke my ribs, so it wasn't the greatest year. I also had an interrupted pre-season entering this season, so I didn't expect to be playing this early in the year. But my body is now feeling as good as it's felt in two years, so that's a bonus. Hopefully I can get back to the way I was playing a couple of years ago and from there play even better.

The ton must have been a proud achievement, considering your battle with injury over the journey and particularly in 2006?

I did doubt if I was going to get there. The plan was to reach 100 games in round eight last year and get my name on the locker. You also look towards the future and a father/son selection is now a possibility, but reaching the ton is like raising the bat. I didn't have a great year last year and I was stuck on 99 matches over the pre-season and I doubted a little bit if I was going to get there. I'm glad I'm there now, so I can just concentrate on playing footy. I played my first match in 2000 and if you said I was going to play 100 games, I'd be pretty happy, but now I've got to keep going on with it. Another 100 games would be great but I don't think I've got another eight years left in me.

How frustrating was it for you when people didn't understand or realise the injuries you contended with last year?

It's frustrating because people are quick to jump off you and they start to doubt you as a player. Every player probably goes through it, but sometimes it's hard because you can even doubt yourself. It's also frustrating when people tell you, 'You're not good enough any more,' when they don't know the full story. That's all behind me now. But it'd be nice to go through a year without being injured. I've never had a year where I haven't had injuries and the most games I've played in a season have been 21 in 2005, so I almost got there. Hopefully this year I can play every match from here on in.

And for a moment against Hawthorn it appeared as though you had sustained another injury when you hurt your shoulder. What happened there?

I landed awkwardly and I pinched a nerve in my shoulder, but I'll be fine for the weekend.

How do you keep the motivation going when you've had these setbacks?

My motivation is pretty easy this year. Coming off a bad year, I've got to prove to a lot of people that I can play good football and with my body feeling pretty good at the moment, that's what I'll be aiming for. The motivation is always there and sometimes you've got to take a step back and think how lucky you are to be in the position you're in, so I don't find it hard to find motivation.

At the end of last season, there was some trade talk bandied around with you involved. How did you handle that situation?

I was overseas for a few weeks at the time, so it didn't really affect me. There might have been a little bit in the paper, here and there, but at no stage did anyone, including Neale (Daniher), say that I was going to be traded.

Do you believe you're in the best 22?

I feel I've got to play my best footy to get back into the best 22 and it's going to be hard to get back into, so I'm going to have to play my best footy every week. I probably can't afford to have a bad game and I don't want to give up my spot. I have to earn that respect back and try and get back into the 22 on a regular basis. It's not going to be easy, but if I hold my form like I've shown in a few games at Sandringham, then that's how I'll get back into the best 22.

Although you are noted for playing down back, versatility is also a feature of your game. Where do you think you are best suited?

I definitely like playing further up the ground and getting the chance to run around a bit more, although I don't think the coach sees it that way (laughing). I don't get much of a run in the forward line, so I'll say the backline, but anywhere is my favourite position at the moment. If I did have a choice it'd be wing or half-forward, but I'm a backman.

An interesting trivia question is that you were the first player to kick a nine-point goal in a pre-season match, while you also hold the record for the most number of nine-pointers. Have you mentioned this to Neale?

I think the hype's gone from the nine-point goal now. Even when I kicked those goals I was playing in the backline, but I might remind the coach (laughing). It's not a big deal though as it is in pre-season games.

Away from football, what are your interests?

I'm doing to the AFLPA next goal program this year and hopefully will be working at a golf course as a greenskeeper, which should be good. I've worked on a few golf courses before, so I'll be continuing to work part-time. Hopefully the Players Association is going to run a charity program for the homeless, so I want to get out there and work at night-time and help with feeding people. I just want to help the less fortunate. We're in a pretty good position and you can't forget about other people, which is important.