The 2015 season undoubtedly was the most frustrating of Richmond midfielder Reece Conca’s five-year AFL career.
Although Conca had encountered a fair few injury problems throughout his first four seasons with the Tigers, 2015 turned into a nightmare for him.
His pre-season preparation in the lead-up to Christmas last year had been good, and he was looking forward to translating that into a big 2015 season.
But a knee injury that he sustained in January triggered a chain reaction of setbacks.
Conca subsequently hurt his hamstring on the eve of the season and then, just as he was working his way back to full fitness, he aggravated the injury.
The upshot is that he managed just three senior games for the year, all coming late in the season, including the elimination final against North Melbourne.
“It’s extremely frustrating . . . sort of been the story of my career a little bit,” Conca told ‘Roar Vision’.
“Obviously this year’s probably been a bit more significant in that I missed pretty much the whole season. I played three games overall, whereas in previous years I’d been able to scrape through 17-18 games . . .
“I’d sort of get it right (hamstring), then come back . . . two or three times I’d play a couple of games and then get reinjured.
“You get your hopes up and then you get crushed again.
“I guess playing in the (elimination) final was a little bit of a bonus at the end of a pretty disappointing year.”
Conca is confident that he’s now overcome his injury issues and can produce his best football in 2016.
“I feel in really good nick physically, so I’m pretty sure that all my injuries should be behind me from here on in,” he said.
“I’m looking forward to a massive pre-season and a big season next year.”