After a horrid run of injuries, Ryan Burton looks set to enter the 2017 season in the best shape of his short AFL career.

“The body is feeling good,” says the young forward.

“I’ve had more of a pre-season this year which is great. It’s put me in pretty good stead leading into Round 1, and I’m feeling a lot better than I was last year.”

Selected with Pick 19 in the 2015 National Draft, Burton overcame a badly broken leg to make his AFL debut in Round 21 last year. He showed plenty of promise, stringing together four consecutive games before a calf injury early in the qualifying final prematurely ended his season.

Burton’s potential was certainly not lost on Hawthorn officials however, with the club entrusted him with the iconic number five guernsey late last year.

After playing two JLT games in the number made famous by the likes of Peter Crimmins and Sam Mitchell, the reality still hasn’t quite settled in for Burton.

“Looking back on vision it’s still a little bit weird looking at the number five and seeing myself instead of Mitch in the guernsey, but I’ve tried to put that aside and really just focus on playing footy.”

Read: O'Meara confident in knee

As a forward, the 20-year-old has relished the on-field leadership provided by the return of captain Jarryd Roughead in the opening rounds of the JLT Community Series.

“I have learnt so much from him. His directional voice is unbelievable and it helps so much in setting up our forward line and helping us young blokes get up and about.”

“I looked up to Roughy as a kid, and now I get to run out and play with him.

“It’s pretty incredible.”

In terms of the season ahead, Burton’s ambitions are simple.

“I just want to play as much footy as I can.”