Fremantle forward Jesse Hogan is back training for a potential return to football should the AFL season commence later this year.
The 25-year-old has been on indefinite leave to focus on his mental health since January, with some questioning if he would ever find his way back to the heights he hit as a talented young key forward at Melbourne.
Hogan has had a tough 18 months since joining the Dockers on a three-year deal at the end of 2018, managing just 12 games in his first season at the club because of injuries and personal problems.
Hogan was also suspended before round one last year for making “poor alcohol choices” and it was revealed he was dealing with an anxiety disorder.
His manager Jason Dover said personally, Hogan was “really good” at the moment and had started training in anticipation of returning to the game.
Hogan has been on leave from the club since January.
Hogan has been on leave from the club since January. Credit: Sharon Smith/The West Australian
“He’s managed to get a program together and start to train on his own with the view that perhaps potentially when we can get a return date he may be able to weigh up getting back into footy, which would be terrific,” Dover told ABC Grandstand.
“I think it has been well documented that he took some time out and away from footy before the coronavirus shut the industry down.
“Probably timing wise, he got himself into a really good position personally and right now he’s tracking really well.”
Hogan returned to social media a few months ago, with the Claremont product sharing pictures of himself surfing down in Yallingup before the State brought in its strict travel restrictions between communities.
Speaking to 7NEWS Perth earlier this month, Justin Longmuir said the focus was on getting Hogan’s mental health right, rather than a return to the field.
“It’s probably the least of our priorities, we want him healthy and in a good frame of mind when he returns,” he said.
“We’ll tick that box first and we’ll worry about footy secondly.
“I had a good conversation with him last week, he seemed in good spirits, ready to do some training on his own and he seemed in a really positive frame of mind.”
