YOUNG Melbourne ruckman Max Gawn is convinced he will bounce back strongly from his second knee reconstruction.

Although he will miss this season, he intends to use the enforced layoff to gain body strength and enter 2013 physically stronger.

"It is actually a pretty good opportunity to get the strength because that is probably where I was lacking," Gawn said.

It's a positive take on what is clearly a devastating blow for the talented 20-year-old, who played four games in 2011 after making his debut in round 11.

He injured his right knee again when he twisted it landing from a marking contest during a pre-season drill at Casey Fields on December 14. The surgery took place before Christmas.

Gawn knew he had a problem as soon as the incident occurred but was hopeful the damage might be limited. Because the feeling he had the second time around was quite different to the one he experienced in 2009 when he 'did' his knee the first time, he remained hopeful as he was carried from the ground.

However his hope was misplaced. Unfortunately for Gawn his aspirations for 2012 had changed in an instant. He would be out for 12 months.

"I was really up and about," Gawn said. "It was the first pre-season I had done for a while. I was running really well and feeling good in the body."

When he came out of surgery, realisation set in that he had undergone a second knee reconstruction. Gawn spent a night and the next day pondering his situation, resolving to spend the next 12 months building his body.

Although it has not been an easy road to travel so far, he has kept perspective. He admits he had forgotten how difficult the first six weeks could be after a reconstruction. He was laid up in bed for close to three weeks during the Christmas break.

"The only real excursion I made was from my bed to the couch one day," Gawn said.

It was a relief to be able to throw away the crutches a couple of days ago and he has been confined to doing upper body weights and cardio work until now.

"It's slow progress from here but then in six to eight weeks I think I'll be OK to run, and then I have the long progress at the end where you have to build up your muscles and the strength in the knee as well," he said.

It's a tough grind doing rehabilitation work. No one enjoys the experience. As Gawn explains, he has gone from being at the club six days a week to spending most of his life at home. Boredom as well as frustration can be an issue but Gawn hopes to keep busy in 2012.

Last week he was admitted to Deakin University to study PE teaching. Once the footy seasons starts, he expects to help out some teammates at the Casey Scorpions and perhaps do some opposition analysis to increase his knowledge of the game.

Because it is the second time he has injured the same knee, the unlucky Gawn has some experience to draw on. He's not sure whether the second injury was the result of a freak accident or because he had not done quite enough work while recovering from his first knee injury.

But his previous experience has influenced his attitude to the rehabilitation this time around.

"This time I'm going to eliminate the option of not doing enough work, and try to do as much as I can to make sure I don't have to go through this process again," he said.

Because Gawn showed last year he was capable of performing well at AFL standard, his return is now more anticipated than during his first year at the club in 2010, when he was an unknown face grinding away overcoming his first knee reconstruction.

Being part of a potentially successful era will be an important lure.

The surgeon's comment after this reconstruction that the Demon ruckman's knee looked better than ever was not lost on Gawn. "That was a real positive thing for him to say," Gawn said.
 
The views in this article are those of the author and not necessarily those of the AFL or its clubs