AN AFL rookie season is filled with hard landings off the field and, hopefully, softer landings on it.
For Mulgrave's Ryan Lester, his rookie year was the other way around.
The 19-year-old former Oakleigh Chargers star had the perfect introduction to his new club Brisbane Lions, moving north with little trouble.
That success followed him into preseason training as Lester won a place in the Lions team for several practice matches and was shocked to earn a debut in their first match of the 2011 season.
He turned on several impressive performances during the first three matches until his hard landing came suddenly and with severe effect.
Lester flew for a mark against Melbourne and landed awkwardly; he kept playing thinking the pain was temporary.
It was only days later, when his foot was still sore, he realised something was wrong.
"Our physios sent me for a scan and it found I had a Lisfranc fracture and would miss the rest of the season," he said.
"I had torn a ligament and bones had shifted in my foot.
"They told me they've never seen an AFL player get this injury. It's more a rugby league injury."
Lester's potentially good season ended that moment, followed by surgery, then a long rehabilitation process.
The Lions allowed him to take a few weeks' leave at home in Melbourne following his operation.
"I was playing senior footy and everything was new and exciting - then all of a sudden my season was over," he said.
A footballer's rehabilitation might be the least glamorous part of the job and Lester spent the better part of 19 weeks grinding away by himself in pool and bike sessions mixed with further treatment from physios and other professionals.
For a player in a new city, spending so much time separated from his teammates was tough.
"Mentally those individual sessions become a challenge but it's all part of being an AFL footballer and you've got to do your best in difficult circumstances," he said. Lester is doing his best to hit 100 per cent fitness and is beginning to re-enter full Lions training.
He said he was still 35 seconds off his best three-kilometre time trial but was slowly regaining confidence in his feet.
Off the field Lester believes the move interstate has made him grow up in a hurry. "Moving away changed my life in a lot of ways but I think it was the best thing for me."
He lives with teammate Bryce Retzlaff.
"I'm doing all my cooking and cleaning myself," he said.
"Early on I wasn't much of a cook but I've been learning off my housemate and have got my standard five to six meals under my belt, so each week I just start down my list again."
Despite entering only his second year of AFL football, Lester wants to help new teammates in the coming year to repay the help he received.
"About 90 per cent of our players move to Brisbane, which makes the transition a little smoother, I guess.
"The boys know what you go through and do small things to help like inviting you around for dinner or coming and having a chat to you after training instead of just passing you by.
"The guys seem genuinely interested in where you come from; in the end we are all one team."
Lester plans to put everything into his preseason in the hopes of both regaining his full fitness and returning to the Lions' senior side.
After that he will just be focusing on a future of soft landings both on and off the field.
■ Mulgrave's Lin Jong scored a rookie list spot with the Western Bulldogs during the AFL rookie draft last week.
Jong played for Oakleigh Chargers last year and caught the eye of the Bulldogs with his speed and clean hands around the football.
He comes from East Timorese and Taiwanese parents and shone during EFL division 1 preseason matches with Mulgrave early this year before moving into the TAC Cup ranks.
Oakleigh Chargers utility Dylan Orval also earned himself a place at AFL level, being drafted by Adelaide. Orval comes from St Simon's JFC and Rowville.
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