Fremantle midfielder Nathan O’Driscoll admits recent ankle injury among the most frustrating of his career

Fremantle midfielder Nathan O’Driscoll has admitted a recent ankle injury has been among the most frustrating of his career but is confident he has overcome the persistent problem. After a solid start to the season at AFL level, O’Driscoll suffered a syndesmosis injury in the Dockers’ round four win over Western Bulldogs. His hopes of a swift return after a month out were dashed by soreness following a comeback game for Peel Thunder, forcing him to spend another week on the sidelines. The Perth product has dealt with a number of ailments throughout his five-year career, including a serious infection last year which saw him hospitalised for three weeks and out of action for much of the season. Speaking after playing his second WAFL game in a row as the Thunder came back to beat Subiaco by four points in Mandurah on Saturday, O’Driscoll said feeling he had overcome the injury only to suffer the setback was “really frustrating”. “I recovered well after the last game. The week before, it flared up a little bit, but last week it felt great and today it’s feeling fine,” he said. “It’s good to just get some footy in my legs and hopefully build up for the back half of the AFL season but we’ll see, the boys are going really well at the moment so it’s going to be hard to get back in. “I feel like if I just get my body right and start playing consistent footy then who knows what can happen.” Both the Dockers and the Thunder have a bye next week, which will deprive O’Driscoll the chance to build further continuity in his body. The 23-year-old admitted the scheduling was a “a little bit disappointing for me because I wanted to get some games under my belt”. “At least I’m confident in the ankle now. I’ll be available for selection if they want to pick me,” he said. “Wherever I play, I’ll be happy.” O’Driscoll has spent much of his recent stint with the Thunder in an inside midfield role, having been introduced to the Dockers’ on-ball mix at the start of the AFL season. The Perth product said he was equally comfortable playing on the inside or in his more familiar role as a winger. “I’ve got the ability now at AFL level to (play inside midfield) and I think Justin can see that,” he said. “The wing in the WAFL is really hard to play, it’s a lot of one-on-one running with someone on your back whereas at AFL level, if you get going early, you can find space. “You can still play the role well and execute really well, you just might not get the footy but that’s not what the coach is asking, he’s not asking for disposals. “It’s harder here, for sure, but it sets me up well for AFL level.”