Geelong hopes to see Daniel Menzel playing AFL in 2015 after four knee reconstructions Geelong hopes Daniel Menzel can play AFL in 2015. GEELONG is daring to believe Daniel Menzel can return to the AFL next year by pulling off a football miracle. Menzel finished fourth in a time-trial at Geelong on Monday and is already taking part in football drills at Simonds Stadium. His knee buckled for the fourth time in April 2013, with surgery on a bone spur in May this year ending his hopes of playing this year. But despite six surgeries including a right knee reconstruction and three left-knee reconstructions, he believes he can get back to football. He is on a one-year deal at the Cats, with footy boss Neil Balme hopeful Menzel can follow the path of Fremantle's three-time knee victim Anthony Morabito. Geelong's Josh Cowan and Daniel Menzel training. Picture: GEELONG MEDIA Source: Supplied "He looks good, we are really pleased with where he is at and he's having a crack,"" Balme said. There is no urgency but we are pleased that he is out there. You can't underestimate the difficulty and anguish he has been through but he's in a really good place. We are trying to treat it as a recovery from one surgery (rather than four) and all of the reports are optimistic. We are treating it that way and hopefully it might be a miracle. Menzel looked to be developing into one of the most dangerous half-forwards in the competition before his first injury in the 2011 finals. Daniel Menzel coaching his under-14s Newtown & Chilwell team. Picture: Glenn Ferguson Source: News Corp Australia He had kicked five goals against premier Collingwood the previous week and had two goals against Hawthorn before injury hit. His skipper Joel Selwood backed him in this week to play AFL again. "He's actually in a really good state," Selwood said. He's obviously still got a lot to go but we're all just hopeful that he can get his chance at some stage next year. Menzel admits he once was so frustrated by another ACL tear he broke his hand punching a wall in fury. "Mentally it is by far so much harder than physically," he said. Daniel Menzel is carted off after re-injuring his knee in 2012. Picture: Arj Giese Source: News Limited The Cats have set him an individual program this summer and have no official time frame on his return. Yet they believe with Menzel being so long since his last reconstruction he will at least give himself the fitness base to have a real crack at his last chance at footy. Geelong is in excellent shape with its senior players to return in coming weeks, with few major surgeries to delay pre-season programs. Yet the club's ruck stocks continue to be problematic, which is why they are linked to Calder Cannons tall Peter Wright in next week's national draft. Dawson Simpson had a third bout of career-threatening back surgery in August while 30-year-old Hamish McIntosh continual knee injuries are a concern as he enters the last year of his contract. Nathan Vardy is also coming back from a knee reconstruction, with the Cats earmarking both Rhys Stanley and Mitch Clark for some ruck responsibilities.