AFTER overcoming a pre-season wrist injury, Hawks midfielder Jordan Lewis is ready to make his first appearance for 2013 at Etihad Stadium on Friday night.
Lewis is among three gun midfielders to be named for their first NAB Cup hit out of 2013, joining reigning Peter Crimmins medallist Sam Mitchell and runner-up, Brad Sewell.
Despite undergoing post-season surgery on his wrist, the tough Hawks midfielder says he’s in good shape heading into the clash against the Bulldogs.
He says the injury didn’t slow down his pre-season, however, revealing he was able to complete the majority of training over summer.
“I had post-season surgery literally a week after the Grand Final, but the thing is with an upper limb operation you can still manage to do all the training,” he told hawthornfc.com.au
“I just had to be modified in terms of contact but other than that I’ve managed to do most of the pre-season and hopefully that will hold me in good stead for the season coming up.”
A durable player despite the nature in which he plays his football, Lewis says even though he had a modified program at times over the summer, it won’t impact his fitness and ability to be ready for the start of the home-and-away season.
“Over the years I haven’t had too many injuries touch wood over the pre-season," he said.
“Other than the 2009 shoulder operation I’ve managed to do over 90 per cent of training over the last five years, which has built up my base.
“Even if I miss a week or two here or there, I can recover pretty quickly.”
Vice Captain of the Club, the 26 year old uses golf terminology to describe why he won’t ever change the way he approaches his football.
He lets his actions on the field speak for themselves, revealing attacking the football as hard as any player in the competition is his “one wood”.
“The way I play, I don’t really think about it, it’s just what I do and what I’ve done throughout my whole career,” he said.
“I haven’t got speed like Cyril Rioli or height like Lance Franklin so my one wood is probably my hardness, which I’ve got to maintain.
“If that’s on - my attack on the ball and the man, then the rest of my game just flows from that.”
Lewis booted 27 goals from 22 matches in 2012, a year in which he showed his versatility and flexibility to be used by Coach, Alastair Clarkson in a variety of roles.
He became renowned for his nous and smarts around goals, attributes which culminated in a five goal haul against Collingwood in Round 17.
Lewis admits it’s important to evolve your own game as the game as a whole changes.
“The way the game is evolving with limited rotations you’ve got to be versatile as a player,” he said.
“If you’re a goal kicking midfielder, you enhance the way you play the game and the more I suppose, the opposition respect you.”
