Suckling fit & firing a month into comeback from injury

HAWTHORN's lethal left footer Matt Suckling credits an improved fitness level for his explosive start to his AFL season.

Suckling has returned from a season on the sidelines and wasted no time finding form with returns of career-best 30 possession games in the Hawks' wins over Fremantle and Gold Coast in the past fortnight.

Essendon champion Matthew Lloyd rates Suckling's start so highly he has him in his rolling All Australian team after the opening month of competition.

Suckling is not reading too much into the hype and is purely making the most of being back on the paddock after the frustrations of season 2013.

"Obviously, it's not much fun last year watching from the sideline, so I'm just like a little excited kid at the moment running around and enjoying playing footy," Suckling told The Daily Advertiser yesterday.

"I was always pretty confident coming back in having waited the 12 months before playing and it's good that I've been able to find a bit of the footy over the last couple of weeks.

"I've been able to sneak forward and kick a couple of goals too, which is good."

Suckling bagged 18 possessions in each of the opening two rounds, before upping his output to 30 in the past two weeks.

His ability to attack has also been noticeable with the 25-year-old returning six goals from the first four rounds.

The former East Wagga-Kooringal and Wagga Tigers junior said the 12 months allowed him to work hard on his fitness and he credits that for his early form.

"I'm definitely a lot fitter than I was in 2011 and 12," Suckling said.

"I've dropped three or four kilos from what I used to play at and I'm stronger later in the game and running it out a lot better."

The focus now is consistency.

"Something I've been working on is being consistent through the season," Suckling said.

Hawthorn's Riverina connection have all enjoyed strong starts with Luke Breust and Isaac Smith also consistently among the Hawks' best.

Breust is currently equal second on the AFL goal kickers list with 12, three behind Port Adelaide forward Jay Schulz.