Albury’s Luke Packer just needs to get through training after injuring his hamstring almost seven weeks ago.

The 33-year-old was forced off in the first quarter of his 250^th game against Wodonga Raiders on April 7.

“It looks like I probably will (return), we didn’t do a heap of group training last week, so I just need to get through training this week and test it out properly,” he said.

“I probably could have nearly played the week before the bye, but with a hamstring you just give it that extra time.”

Packer missed last year’s grand final with a hamstring complaint and he’s nervous it will hold up.

“You get worried that the injury’s going to stand up and you put your hand up to play,” he said.

“Once I’ve trained Tuesday and Thursday, I’ll know a bit better. If I’m going flat out and there’s no issues, I’ll probably become a lot more confident, I suppose.”

The undefeated Tigers are away to Wodonga on Saturday as club football returns following the interleague bye.

PRESSURE

Just on rep footy and the O and M’s 76-point win over Western Region was built on a number of factors, particularly pressure.

The visitors were swamped almost every time they got the ball and star player Brayden O’Hara was asked if it was as physical as a club game against a top five outfit.

“At times it felt just a little bit faster at stages with the movement of the ball, the class of players that we’ve got, but, probably wasn’t as physical,” he said.

“I suppose we kicked seven in the first quarter and it sort of died out a bit.”

MEDAL FAVOURITE

Of course, rep footy doesn’t count in Morris Medal voting, but O’Hara’s performance underlined his remarkable form.

Most judges have him as the front-runner for the league’s top award after a blinding six weeks.

The three-time Central District premiership player has 24 goals, three behind leader Michael Newton.

O’Hara is now in his fifth year at Albury.

“I feel I’ve played similar to every year I’ve been here, but I suppose I’m just getting more recognition this year,” he said.

MARK’S MINDSET

Now that the O and M has reached the top four in AFL Victoria’s rankings, it will need the likes of O’Hara and Yarrawonga’s Mark Whiley – two of the league’s superstars – to continue at rep level.

And at just 25, the good news is it appears Whiley has plenty of time and, more importantly, interest.

“I just think it’s a good test mate, it’s a good opportunity to test yourself against the higher league,” he said.

“I personally wanted to play last year (against Goulburn Valley), I just wanted to get to know people as I was new to the league.”

CLEANED UP

The O and M escaped unscathed from the game, but Nick Meredith had a nervous moment in the final quarter.

Meredith took a mark in the middle of the ground and copped a roundhouse right in an attempt to spoil the mark.

The 25-year-old was on the ground, momentarily, but was still able to take his kick after receiving 50m.

To show how much heat and interest had gone out of the game, no team-mates genuinely remonstrated with the Western Region player.

If it was the first quarter, it could have been different.