COLLINGULLIE-Glenfield Park's premiership quest is about to get a huge boost with star stalwart Jayden Klemke's return from serious knee issues looking imminent.
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The two-time Jim Quinn medallist, four-time Demons best and fairest and 2018 premiership player suffered a major knee injury on debut with West Adelaide in 2019.
He returned to play eight games for the Demons last season, before his meniscus gave way.
Two different surgeons said he was lucky to play again after hurting himself in the SANFL, but the 27-year-old's drive to make up for lost time looks set to pay off.
Klemke may be put in cotton wool for Sunday's clash of the unbeaten sides against Ganmain-Grong Grong-Matong at Ganmain Sportsground, but coach Nick Perryman said it won't be long before he returns.
"Jayden will train tonight (Thursday) and we'll see how he pulls up, but he's probably unlikely (to play this week) at this stage," Perryman said.
"It's great to have him back out on the track. He's a massive player for us, and has been a great player on and off the field at the club.
"He brings great energy when he's around and if it's not this week, it might be in the next couple.
"It's not far away, which is a positive."
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Klemke's return would be a huge coup for the Demons, who have comfortably won their first three matches.
He is a dangerous midfielder, but given his lack of match fitness could also spend plenty of time in their already potent forward line.
Klemke's return would boost the club emotionally after he feared at one point he may not play again.
"I'll go again and just see how it goes, but it will probably be my last year," he told The Daily Advertiser in November.
"At one stage I was going to have a year or two off or give it away, but there's too much drive in me, and being around the boys I wanted to have one more crack.
"I went to a surgeon in Canberra and he said I did well just to come back from my knee in Adelaide. I did more than my ACL, I snapped every ligament in my knee.
"Two reports from surgeons didn't give me much choice other than to give it away, but I'm keen to have one more crack."
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