Emerging North Albury youngster Foster Gardiner could miss the first month of the season with a finger injury.
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It completes a unique off-season, which started at VFL club Coburg before moving to Darwin.
"I tore the tendon in my ring finger on the left hand at Coburg in November, but didn't realise the extent of the damage and didn't follow it up," he revealed.
"I then played footy in Darwin, had about two months up there, but the finger ended up retracting back into my hand.
"I got back on January 17 and had the surgery a week later in Melbourne."
After completing school last year at The Academy in Wangaratta, which was founded by former Richmond star Alex Rance, the 19-year-old moved to Melbourne.
"I didn't like the environment, it wasn't the footy club, it was the (Melbourne) lifestyle," he suggested.
"I actually had no intention of going to Darwin and I came back home one weekend and was supposed to be heading back to Melbourne, but on the Sunday I spoke to Wayne McCraw from North Albury and I told him how one of my mates was up in Darwin and he said, 'would you like to go play for Waratah's? I've got some contacts there'.
"A week and a half later I was in Darwin."
Gardiner is expected to miss the opening rounds as the finger recovers.
"The surgeon said it will be about three months, so three months takes me up to round four," he said.
"It's starting to improve a lot more, which is good."
Gardiner is desperate to be part of the Hoppers' resurgence.
The club finished last in 2022 with only one win, but pushed to within a win of finals last year on seven victories.
Foster and twin Archer, who is seven minutes younger, are among the emerging talents at the Hoppers as they chase a drought-breaking finals berth.
