Yarrawonga's Tyler Bonat works with movement coach in bid to play

With just three games left, Bonat has written this year off as he struggles to overcome an Achilles complaint, which is related to a horror workplace accident he suffered in early 2017.

The reigning Morris Medallist at the time underwent surgery to repair an artery after he suffered a 30cm gash in his left leg while working with fencing equipment.

The current injury is on his right leg.

"My left side wasn't working as it should have, so I started compensating on the right-hand side, so my Achilles was getting overloaded," he said.

There were fears at the time of the accident Bonat's career could be over, but he returned around three months later.

"If I had my time again, I might have done things differently," he said.

"I thought my body was ready, but I wasn't completely right to go."

Bonat first had Achilles pain at the start of 2018, but battled through the year as the Pigeons bowed out in the first semi-final.

He hasn't played since.

Bonat has run probably 10-12 times since and, given his devotion to fitness and football, has been trying everything to return.

"I'm working with a guy called Mark McGrath, he worked on Chris Judd when he had those groin injuries," Bonat said.

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"He's like a movement coach, he works on re-balancing your body and getting it moving again.

"He talks about going back to basic movement principles, if you move properly, you'll run properly and then you'll run pain free."

Bonat admits while it's been frustrating with three disrupted years, he hasn't considered retirement after 191 games with the Pigeons.

"My thinking is I'm not coming back to play nine games, I'm coming back to play another four-five years, hopefully," he said.