Fit Wright is ready for selection battle
PETER Wright has declared he is fit enough to make an AFL return but says it’s up to him to deliver the form to warrant senior selection.
Wright is three reserves games back from a calf injury that has kept him out of the AFL throughout the first half of the season.
It’s his biggest break through injury from the first three seasons of his career.
The 21-year-old, who played all of the Suns’ 22 games last season, said with his calf back at 100 per cent and some crucial match fitness behind him, it was now up to him to build a portfolio of football that will earn him a call up to the senior side.
It’s something that won’t be easy given the presence of captain Tom Lynch and an inform Sam Day.
“I’m fully fit in terms of the calf,” Wright said.
“Now I need to make sure I’m out there playing AFL standard football, whether it’s in the AFL or in the NEAFL.
“I will need to play really strong football that will stand up once I get the call up.”
The 203cm tall, who weighs 102kg, played in Gold Coast’s NEAFL loss in Canberra on May 5 before featuring in the club’s loss to Brisbane on May 19 where the Suns failed to kick a goal.
Wright missed the reserve’s next game after being taken to China as an emergency for the club’s clash with Port Adelaide.
He didn’t kick a goal in the Suns’ win over Southport last weekend but played a critical role in the ruck, giving Gold
Coast the edge for three quarters against in-from Sharks ruckman Fraser Thurlow.
“I may not have kicked goals but the most important thing is playing that standard of football through my running patterns and contests,” Wright said.
“It won’t always result in a goal but it’s always nice to hit the scoreboard and hopefully I can do that going forward.”
Wright has played 42 AFL games for Gold Coast over three years, kicking 59 goals.
The Victorian hurt his left calf in February and conceded he was frustrated by multiple set backs before he was able to return to football.
“I did it leading into the first JLT game and then twice when we tried to load it up again and run it failed,” Wright said.
“Calves are a lot trickier than your average soft tissue injuries, the progression isn’t as linear.
“It was a solid tear and was really about seeing how I felt day by day.
“One of the bigger issues was there was a lot of bleeding in there and we had to wait for the all-clear on that.”