Dan Hannebery confident he has shaken off his injury troubles and is ready to reignite career at St Kilda

St Kilda recruit Dan Hannebery says he has a “point to prove” next season and is confident his “banged up” body has more than five years of footy left in it.

Dan Hannebery at St Kilda. Picture: Getty Images

St Kilda recruit Dan Hannebery has dismissed concerns about his “banged up” body and says he has a “point to prove” next season, just like his new teammates.

Hannebery was on Thursday handed his new jumper for next season — No. 10 — after training with the club’s second-to-fourth-year players again during a light session at Moorabbin.

The former Sydney midfielder, who turns 28 in February, said he was confident the worst of the groin and soft tissue issues which had troubled him the past two years were now behind him, and hard work and better management of his body would ensure he can return to his best.

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Asked if he was confident if he had five years left in his body — the length of the contract he signed at St Kilda — Hannebery replied: “Yeah, hopefully more”.

“I’ve looked after myself in the off-season,” Hannebery said.

“I’m easing into it the next two or three weeks and getting back into the swing of things. But from a body point of view I’m feeling pretty good.

“The back half of the year my groins were fine and the off-season’s much the same and now they’re fine.

“The physio staff and fitness staff here have been first rate with the program they’re setting and the work that they do to get yourself right and that was a really attractive thing to come down here, I guess, with some of the injury battles I’ve experienced in recent years.”

Dan Hannebery will wear No.10 at St Kilda. Picture: Getty Images

Hannebery was restricted to just 15 games for the Swans this year, averaging 18.7 disposals and kicking just one goal.

The output was well down on a career-best 2016 season in which he averaged 30.9 disposals, 4.7 clearances and kicked 13 goals from 26 games.

“I’ve probably got a point to prove to myself,” Hannebery said.

“I’m probably the harshest critic on myself and my standards. No doubt I had a really good run up until the end of 2016 from a games perspective and my form was pretty sound for a number of years and to have two down years was disappointing.

“I really want to try and get back to some really solid form, especially early in the season, and go from there.”

Hannebery, who grew up in Melbourne and attended Xavier College, said he while he enjoyed the relaxed atmosphere in Sydney it was good to be back in a football state and he believed things could turn quickly for the Saints, who won just four games this year to finish 16th on the ladder.

“I think they’ve got a really good up-and-coming list,” Hannebery said.

“I think their list and their form last year was disappointing but I think they’re a lot better club than what they showed and the club, along with myself, have got a lot to prove next year which is exciting.”

Originally published as Dan Hannebery confident he has shaken off his injury troubles and is ready to reignite career at St Kilda