Collingwood forward Daniel McStay is optimistic that he can still have an impact in season 2024 despite suffering an ACL injury.
McStay - who joined the Pies at the beginning of 2023 as a free agent - suffered a long-term knee injury in November that usually requires 12 months to come back from.
However, the former Lion has taken many steps toward his return and feels "anything's possible".
"The rehab's going well. I'm about three months down now, I started running last week," McStay said on Wednesday.
"I haven't really set in any timelines just yet. I'm just about ticking one thing off after another and getting back into some footy in the next few months.
"I imagine I'm going to be running for a long period of time, so as long as I keep pulling up well and my staff look after me, I'm sure anything's possible."
Since joining the Pies from Brisbane, McStay has played 14 games in the black-and-white but unfortunately missed out on the club's premiership.
In a heartbreaking blow to the 28-year-old, the key forward suffered a high-grade medial collateral ligament (MCL) strain in the preliminary final win against the Giants.
McStay also missed a significant portion of football in the middle of 2023 due to a ruptured flexor tendon in his finger, making for a frustrating first year at the AIA Centre.
As the club looks to its opening-round clash with GWS on Saturday at GIANTS Stadium, the question of who will replace McStay continues to arise.
Ash Johnson and Reef McInnes look to be battling it out for that remaining spot in the forward line, with the pair enjoying impressive summers.
However, Johnson was given more minutes than his teammate in the AAMI Community Series clash with Richmond, potentially indicating which way coach Craig McRae is leaning.
Collingwood will also be without star defenders Jeremy Howe (calf) and Nathan Murphy (concussion) for the season opener, which may give luckless tall Charlie Dean a chance at the elite level.
Former captain Scott Pendlebury is also racing to be fit. The games record holder will undergo a fitness test on Thursday.