Port Adelaide's Robbie Gray serves a beer at the Dublin Hotel in Glenelg, which he has invested in with Travis Boak. Picture: Keryn Stevens Source: Sunday Mail (SA)
PORT Adelaide small forward Robbie Gray has asked the Power faithful to be patient with him as he takes a no-risk approach to his rehabilitation of a long-term knee injury.
Gray is pleased with the progress he's made since the Christmas break but is realistic about what he will be able to achieve on his return this season.
"I know it's not going to be a massive year for me," Gray said.
"I just want to get some confidence in my body, some fitness back and some form back.
"If I can get 10 or 12 games in ... I just want to get back and once I do have a really smooth year and get some game time back into me."
Gray, who tore the ACL in his right knee against Collingwood in round four last season, has begun running at a higher speed in the past fortnight - although still not at full pace - and tried changing direction.
"It's stepped up a bit in the last couple of weeks," he said.
"I still don't know when (my return is) going to be exactly, we'll just play it by ear and see how it goes.
"But I'm really happy with how it's coming along at the moment."
Gray is one of the few undoubted elite performers in Port's squad, achieving top four best-and-fairest finishes when he's been injury-free.
The Power lacked a genuine crumbing forward in his absence last year, with Brett Ebert - who is more of a lead-up player - the only small forward to pass double figures in goals.
Gray, who will change from guernsey number 17 to nine this season as he looks for a "fresh start", hasn't spoken to new Power coach Ken Hinkley about whether he sees him as a forward or a midfielder.
He just wants to get back on the park.
The 24-year-old is fully aware draft classmates Joel Selwood and Bryce Gibbs are on track to chalk up 150 games this season, while he's stuck on 70.
"I debuted halfway through my first year and have missed a lot of games through injury," he said.
"Just when I thought I was starting to get on top of it, this happened. It's definitely frustrating ... but that's footy, these things happen."
Gray is confident he'll suffer no long-term effects and has taken note of Minnesota Vikings player Adrian Petersen, who narrowly missed out on breaking the NFL rushing record in his first year back from a knee injury.
"I did take notice of that," Gray said.
"Even in the AFL lots of guys have done it and gone on to have successful careers. I think once I'm back and confident it will hold up well."
He's also excited about his investment in Glenelg's Dublin Hotel.
Gray, teammate Travis Boak and Crows defender Ben Rutten bought into the pub just before Christmas in a deal that was instigated by Gray and Rutten's former West Adelaide teammate Luke Donaldson.
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