IT took only a few games back from knee surgery for Hawthorn skipper Luke Hodge to know he hadn't lost the agility he needed to get through another AFL campaign.
Hodge's future was clouded mid-season when he returned from seven games on the sidelines recovering from a torn lateral meniscus in his right knee.
The 32-year-old had heard the debate about his supposedly banged-up body and football mortality – not for the first time – and had already been weighing up playing on for a 16th season.
Hodge told the club earlier this year he would "pull the pin" on his career if he felt the time was right, but the Hawthorn great has bounced back from surgery in outstanding touch.
He picked up 29 touches and probably three Brownlow Medal votes in a bruising round 16 win against Port Adelaide, his second game back, and has racked up 27, 27 and 28 touches over the past three weeks while answering any doubts about his body.
"What you look at, especially with a knee, agility is one thing that goes," Hodge told AFL.com.au after inking a contract extension for 2017.
"I've never had a sharp turning circle anyway, but I think my first few games back it just took a little bit to get used to my knee.
"It was the same as 2012 (after PCL surgery). When I first came back, the agility to get up off the ground and change angles probably wasn't there because of the amount of time I spent out with my knee injury.
"But you do some work on it, and I've been able to do a lot more work this year than what I did in 2012 and it's bounced back a lot better.
"So I've got full confidence in my knee from what it went through to kick on (next year)."
On the eve of finals, the Hawks ended speculation about the futures of Hodge and decorated teammates Shaun Burgoyne (33) and Josh Gibson (32) by offering the champion trio new deals for next season.
Along with star midfielder Sam Mitchell, the premiership veterans will continue steering the Hawks' list through an era of regeneration while aiming to remain a flag contender.
"I think it's crucial having senior guys around there to help the young guys out," said Hodge, who should join the 300-game club next year.
"Whether it's information on game day, whether it's feedback from training or whether it's just making them confident because they know they've got blokes with experience beside them.
"I know when I started playing and you had blokes like Crawf (Shane Crawford) around you, you were just a bit more confident knowing those blokes had your back.
"We're trying to develop them (Hawthorn's next generation) as much as we can and hoping that when we do leave the footy club that they're able to take on the reins that we've left and we continue to grow as a football club."
But with a crunch clash against Collingwood looming, Hodge's focus is on the here and now and Hawthorn's shot a historic fourth-straight flag.
The Hawks have the chance to lock-up a sixth consecutive top-four finish this Sunday and the skipper is bullish about Hawthorn's prospects in finals.
"Even though we've had a lot of hiccups with some personnel out, I still believe our best footy mixes it with anyone," Hodge said.
"We've beaten Sydney up in Sydney, I know West Coast beat us over there and we had a hiccup against Melbourne, but those other sides we've played some pretty good football against.
"So when it comes to this stage of the year it doesn't matter what you've done for the last 19 or 20 weeks – it's what you do from here onwards."
