White had managed only two games for Richmond up until Round 15, when he returned from a lengthy stint at VFL affiliate Coburg, to play against Melbourne at the MCG.
He was a lively performer that day in the Tigers’ 23-point win, but his comeback was soured when he received a three-match ban from the AFL’s match review panel on a rough conduct charge.
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The 25-year-old was back in action for Richmond’s Round 19 clash with Brisbane at the Gabba, and he subsequently produced some solid form, holding his spot in the side until the Round 22 match against Essendon at the MCG, when he damaged his hamstring.
Despite those setbacks, White signed a new, one-year contract with Richmond at the end of the season, and he’s hoping it will lead to bigger and better things at Tigerland.
“I never wanted to leave, and I never looked like leaving, so I’m glad they gave me the opportunity,” White told “Roar Vision”.
“I’ve just got to get a few games next year now and, hopefully, get another contract at the end of the year.”
White, a veteran of 89 league games since debuting in 2006, has made a quieter start than normal to pre-season training, due to the hamstring injury he sustained late in the 2012 season.
“It (pre-season) has been a bit of a different one for me, coming back through rehab., still taking a bit of care with the hamstring tendon,” he said.
“I’m actually running at the moment, I just don’t have any top-end speed. So, I run and then come back here (to the Club) for cross-training and boxing.
“I’m not quite there . . . probably about a week away (from joining in full training).”
White has noticed a slight difference in the pre-season regime, under the Club’s new Elite Performance Manager, Peter Burge.
“It probably wouldn’t be a huge change from what we’ve done in previous years, but I think we’re running shorter distances. It’s still long distances, but shorter than what we’ve done, and it’s a bit more explosive,” he said.
