Lachie McMillan ready to return for Yackandandah after a shoulder reconstruction

McMillan had resigned himself to missing the entire season after having a shoulder reconstruction.

In the process of dislocating his right shoulder while playing cricket for Belvoir, he also sustained two fractures, displaced bone and a torn labrum.

McMillan has stayed involved, assisting Yackandandah coach Darren Holmes, but looked unlikely to play any part in season 2023 due to the anticipated rehabilitation timeline.

However, he resumed training six weeks ago and has declared himself available for selection ahead of Saturday's trip to Tallangatta.

"The recovery has been unreal," McMillan said.

"I had a little bit of a hiccup the first week of the footy season, I had a pinched nerve which they thought could have been a bit more but I overcame that pretty quickly and I've been in the gym most days doing my strength work and range of movement stuff.

"My physios have been fantastic, giving me all the right exercises and the only thing that's really hampering now is throwing, which you don't do in football, so to get the all-clear to come back is fantastic because I was looking like no footy at all.

"To be able to come back and make a push to try to get in the finals team is fantastic."

Yackandandah cemented themselves in the top-three on Saturday with a hard-fought win away to reigning premiers Chiltern, who now look certain to finish fourth.

It was a gripping see-saw contest which left McMillan desperate to be back in the cut-and-thrust instead of watching from the bench.

"Getting to actually still be around the coaches and be involved that way has been really helpful but when you get a game like Saturday when Chiltern were pushing really hard, you just want to be out there helping," McMillan said.

"You've got itchy feet and I was checking my phone because I couldn't watch.

"It hasn't been as bad as what I thought, maybe because I was used to it during cricket season, but I can't wait to get out there."

McMillan's timing is perfect with the Roos preparing for their first TDFL finals campaign for 13 years.

"It's exciting getting back to play sport because it's my life and I love it," he said.

"In the interview at the start of the year, I said we were pretty bad the last few years I've been in there so to come back and be in a finals team that could go a long way is very exciting.

"A lot of my great mates are in that team and I can't wait."

So can Yackandandah really go all the way?

"Absolutely," McMillan insisted.

"We've knocked off Chiltern on their home deck, which is always a tough ask, we were competitive with Kiewa for three-and-a-half quarters and let that one slip, Beechworth pushed us and we fought back so results like that speak volumes.

"In past years, we would have rolled over and given up a three or four-goal loss and thought that was OK - but not this year.

"We played Dederang and we played an awful game but we still found a way to win.

"Homer (coach Darren Holmes) has instilled that in us the last three years, that if you want to play for Yackandandah, you don't roll over and give up easy games."

McMillan is part of the core group of local players which has dragged Yackandandah into contention after years of mediocrity.

"You've just got to go back to the Kiewa game and people were parking in the main street to get to the oval," McMillan said.

"That just proves people want to come and watch Yack now whereas in 2019, if you wanted to park on the fence, you'd get a park on the fence.

"But look at how many people are hanging around after games now.

"I think we've gained respect around the league by the fact Homer makes us stay at away teams for awards every week so we actually get involved with opposition teams.

"It's not just rock up, play your game and go home, so you actually get to know your opposition a little bit better.

"But we're hard to play against now and I think that's also gained us a lot of respect.

"A few seasons ago, we were easy beats but now teams know they're in for a tough game against us."

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