Anthony Morabito says he is pinching himself heading into the pre-season without injury.



“It’s nearly surreal,” he said.



“If you’d told me 10 months ago that I’d be able to do day one of the pre-season unrestricted, I’d have said no way.”



Morabito did not play a game in 2015 after minor knee surgery, following three knee reconstructions over five years.



The club delisted Morabito from the senior list at end of the season but re-drafted the 24-year-old as a rookie.



He returned to official training last Monday.



“The body is good,” he said.



“I’ve been able to do every footy session for the past week.



“I’m pretty unrestricted.



Pre-season report: All hands on deck



“Once we start contact work, I’ll be right back in, which is something I haven’t been able to do for a number of years.



“It’s a credit to the fitness staff to stick to the plan and get me up for the pre-season.”



Morabito met with Geelong forward Daniel Menzel, a player who has also faced multiple knee reconstructions.



He said the pair were close friends.



“Dan has not only been a good resource but a good friend,” Morabito said.



“We got drafted the same year and we’ve unfortunately had a mirrored set of injuries.”



Morabito said it was beneficial to talk to someone who had been through the same circumstances.



“When you’ve been through this sort of stuff you can really bounce ideas off each other, more so the mental side of things,” he said.