THE SIGHT of Clinton Young loping down the wing and delivering the ball deep inside 50 is a source of great delight for Hawthorn supporters, and no one's happier than the 24-year-old is to be right back in the thick of the action.

A groin injury meant the damaging winger was one of the missing ingredients of the Hawks' 2009 season, but with 12 games under his belt leading into Friday’s big clash against St Kilda, Young is confident in his body and loving his football.

"The first couple of games, I was a bit scratchy and I thought it would take me a while to get back into it fully, but it's good to able to play some consistent footy," Young says.

"My role is obviously running around lots and kicking the ball well. To do that and do it well is what I'm in the team for, so it's good to be able to do it properly.

"I know my role is not necessarily about getting a lot of possessions, but if I'm running to the right places, I can get dangerous and use the ball well hopefully by passing it to the forwards or going long for goal.

"When it's all going well, I really enjoy that role. Hopefully I can keep playing it for the team."

Young's happy demeanour is a far cry from this time last year. The ankle injury he famously picked up in the 2008 grand final win ate into his 2009 pre-season and caused him to subconsciously compensate for it even after he was cleared to resume. As a result, groin injuries saw Young play his last game for the season in round five, not that he was ruled out for the rest of the season there and then.

"Every two or three weeks I thought I'd be back," Young recalls.

"So in my mind I was trying to get myself back in two weeks when realistically I was a mile off it because I just wasn't able to run properly.

"I'd get 15 or 20 minutes into a session or game, then wasn't able to run properly. My legs were shutting down on me, which wasn't a great feeling because obviously I wanted to keep going. My legs weren't cooperating.

"By the time we decided the season was over and I was getting the operation done, it felt like it was a bit of weight off my shoulders because I realised where I was at and I was going to get it right and look forward to 2010."

Young went through a carefully-planned rehabilitation that saw him back running around Christmas and playing footy by February. It was a slow, arduous process that he admits wasn't helped when doubts were raised about his long-term future in the press.

"I knew myself that I was on the right path," he says.

Young proved the doubters wrong when he took the field first for Box Hill and then for the Hawks in round four this season.

"It's not until you experience an injury like that and have a long time in rehab watching the guys play that it hits home how much you love being out there," Young says.

"Week to week, sometimes you forget the enjoyment of being out there and playing. I know this year when I've been a little bit flat or disappointed, it hasn't been as bad because I realise where I was this time last year.

"I'm playing, I'm loving my footy, and that's what it's all about really."

That love of the game is all the more evident ahead of a big Friday night encounter on the national stage.

"There's always a little bit more excitement in the week leading up to a Friday night match," Young admits.

"You know it's going to be a big game in front of a big audience. It's always a big week when you're looking forward to a Friday night game, and this week's no different.

"It's going to be a great test for us, because the Saints have been playing great footy for a couple of years now. It's a good chance for us to test ourselves against one of the best."  

The clash sees the two teams square off for the premiership points as well as the Blue Ribbon Cup, which was established in 1999 in memory of Victoria Police officers Sergeant Gary Silk, a Hawthorn member, and Senior Constable Rodney Miller, a Richmond supporter. Silk and Miller were killed in the line of duty at Moorabbin in August 1998.