Geelong captain Joel Selwood is bullish about recovering in time for their AFL qualifying final, saying he expects to be picked.
While a lot still has to go right for Selwood in the next week, he is making good progress from ankle surgery.
Selwood needed the operation at the start of the month after he was injured during the round-20 loss to Sydney.
Next Friday's qualifying final against Richmond at the MCG will be five weeks after the injury.
Selwood is back running and showed no signs of discomfort at Wednesday night's All-Australian function.
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"I expect to probably be named," Selwood told Fox Footy's AFL 360 program.
"There will be no 50-50 in it. I will either be in it or not."
Selwood also told reporters at the function that he will train heavily on the weekend as his teammates have match simulation during the week off.
"I don't know think I will be a part of that, but I will be off to the side, doing a fair bit of work that's pretty similar to it," he said.
Selwood added he is recovering naturally, without the need for any radical treatment.
"There's no calf's blood or anything (former teammate) Max Rooke did," he said.
Selwood said if he plays, he cannot be a passenger.
"It is not just about getting to the actual start line, I have to get there and make an impact," he said.
"The difference with just being out there isn't enough these days.
"My teammates have done a great job for the last three weeks and they have showed that, so I need to be able to play and have an impact."
Selwood also said there is no risk of causing more damage to the ankle by making a quick return.
"It was quite a simple surgery, the procedure that was done," he said.
"There is a wire through the ankle that holds it together and for that to break it would have to be something we have never seen before.
"I think it will come right down to the last minute. I have to pull up well from training on Wednesday. I need to go home, do the right thing. That's the ice, the cool down and recover well."
