Injured Port Adelaide midfielder Willem Drew on the long road to recovery

The second-year Power prospect, who is yet to make his AFL debut, is recovering at home in Warrnambool after an operation on his right heel two weeks ago.

Drew, 19, is confident he’ll be ready for the start of pre-season training.

“I had an ongoing issue towards the backend of last year and this pre-season,” he told The Standard.

“It (the operation) was a last resort. We’d tried a few other things but came to the decision to have the op and get on with it.”

Drew said it was his first major injury setback.

“It is frustrating but you realise it’s a part of footy and you can’t really do much about it other than move on and try and get better,” he said.

“I’ve been on crutches for about two weeks and I will slowly start putting body weight onto it and progress from there.”

Injuries have derailed a number of Hampden league exports this season.

Drew’s former Koroit teammate Martin Gleeson, who was earmarked as a big improver at Essendon, is also recovering from a serious foot problem.

Cobden talent Sean Darcy (knee) is yet to add to his eight games at Fremantle, while Hamilton premiership player Liam Picken has battled concussion issues.

Drew played in three Hampden league senior premierships with Koroit – the first when he was just 15 – before he was drafted to Port Adelaide with pick 33 in the 2016 national draft.

He settled in well at Alberton Oval, playing in Port Magpies’ one-point SANFL grand final loss in his first season at the club.

“I am loving my time over in Adelaide,” Drew said. “I love the place itself, all the beaches and stuff, it’s a pretty chilled out place and everyone at the club’s been really good to me.”