IT has been a long, frustrating year for co-captain Craig Bolton but as 2010 draws to a close, he’s confident he will be ready to re-join his team-mates on the field in round one next year.

Bolton has been a welcome sight out on the training track this pre-season and expects to resume  team training in January.

“I’m back to doing all the fitness running and my Achilles is feeling really good,’’ Bolton told www.sydneyswans.com.au. “I’m doing running sessions now to get my fitness up and will be joining in the skills at some point in the next month.’’

Since Bolton injured his Achilles tendon in round 5 this year, he’s dedicated himself to doing all he can to fix the chronic problem and resume playing.As the finals drew close in August, he was almost there.

“It was disappointing, I was hoping to get back during the season and finish off playing finals. It would have been nice to have been a part of that but unfortunately the foot didn’t get right in time,’’ he said.
“It was too risky to try to come back that late in the season, as there was a chance I’d hurt it again.’’

So when the Swans dropped out of the finals race and all the players went on a much-needed break, Bolton stayed behind in Sydney. He was the lonely guy as he ran laps and lifted weights in October.

“I ran out of time to completely get over the injury during the season so I spent the next two months, during the break, trying to finish off the rehab and get it up to a really good standard,’’ he said.

“The boys were in Vegas and Bali and Fiji and all these exotic places and I was here with Matt Cameron, our physio, most days. It was a different break because usually I like to go overseas and relax.
“It was very lonely. I was the only person in the gym, coming in every day.  I was doing a lot of rehab exercises in the gym and also running.

“I spent the best part of two months building up my running to the point where I could run flat out and twist and turn and jump and do everything I needed to do to convince myself I’d be right to go again.

“I needed to be sure my foot was going to be ok. I was 100 per cent keen to keep playing on, I just had to tick a few boxes in terms of making sure that was the right decision,’’ Bolton said.

Now that he’s back on track, Bolton is excited about the season ahead. “I was always really keen on playing on in 2011, especially having seen the success and the potential our side has. At the back end of last year it was really exciting times.’’
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Bolton stayed closely involved with the team and spent  time in the coaches’ box.

“I took a more active role in helping some of the younger guys, in particular the defenders, and trying to give as much guidance and feedback to the team as I could. It was another set of eyes for the team.
“That helped me with the players and the team, it helped to look at it from a different perspective and it also reconfirmed I never want to be a coach!’’

Playing again is all he wants.  “I can’t wait to get back out there and be playing good footy and be contributing to what is a really exciting time for the club. I’m hopeful I’ll be right to go round one.’’