CRAIG Bolton talks to sydneyswans.com.au about the foot and Achilles injury that kept him sidelined for most of 2010, his hopes for 2011, and his thoughts on the team in season 2010...

You obviously had a difficult year personally but as far as the team went, what pleased you most about the year?
The most pleasing thing was to see the development of the younger players. It happened a lot quicker than I thought it would. It was really pleasing to see guys like Gary Rohan and Lewis Jetta come in and perform at a consistent level in senior footy. And even guys like Kieren Jack took their game to a new level.

So watching from the sidelines, it was good to see, and that was the reason why we had a pretty solid year because we had these guys develop and play at a really high standard really quickly in their careers.

It was great to see the way the team jelled together. It was really consistent and successful in the back half of the year. It was great to be a part of it, even if it was only in a small way when you’re not playing.

It bodes well for the future, and supporters and players alike are really looking forward to 2011.

You were stuck on 199 games. How was that to deal with?
It was a little bit frustrating, to get injured then. But at the end of the day (200 games) would be a nice thing to look back on in your career but I just want to get my foot and Achilles right and hopefully play that game straight up in 2011.

All in all it has personally been a frustrating year, having sat on the sidelines for most of it but it gives me a lot to look forward to, having seen the team perform so well this year.

To explain the Achilles injury, why didn’t it heal as quickly as first predicted?
The nature of the injury was that it was a partially torn Achilles and while we hoped it would be between eight and 12 weeks, the doctors were never exactly sure how long it would take to get better. It was partially torn in a reasonably difficult position, right down on the heel, so it has been a case of wait and see. The doctors and I would have liked to see me get back a lot sooner, and it has been frustrating, but at the end of the day it is one of those injuries you can’t rush.

Which of your team-mates most impressed you this year?
I think Nick Malceski had an outstanding season, after a couple of quiet years by his own admission. He came back in and became a dominant player again.

Shane Mumford has been outstanding for us and his partner in the ruck, Mike Pyke, has been great. With the absence of Mark Seaby, we all thought we might struggle a bit in the ruck department, but Mike has really stood up.

Kieren Jack has taken his game to another level and is now a very good player in his own right. He is not so much a tagger any more and has given us so much offensively.

How are you feeling about next year?
I’m confident I can get back and I’m looking forward to it. The Achilles has been progressing really well the last few months and the signs are really good that it is strengthening. I’m running at a pretty good pace now and I’m looking forward to being able to start pre-season with 100 per cent fitness in mid-November.

I’ve been in the rehabilitation stage of the injury and that will continue for me during the off-season break. My off-season won’t be an off-season. I’ll be hanging around in Sydney and training most days while the other players are away, to try to get it right and prepare for the pre-season, so when that comes around in November I want to be sure I’m ready to go.

I’ll be in Sydney for the whole break, which is a bit of a change for me. I’m a bit jealous because most of the guys have been talking about the exotic locations they’re going to for the holidays but the priority for me this year is getting my foot right.

Craig Bolton in action during season 2010: