Trent West’s promising first season with the Brisbane Lions was cut short in Round 11 when he injured his knee in a seemingly innocuous ruck contest against Carlton at the Gabba.

Scans later confirmed the worst – he had ruptured his ACL and would require a full knee reconstruction that could keep him sidelined for up to 12 months.  

But following successful surgery and a couple months of diligent rehabilitation, West is now on target to resume training during the pre-season.

Strength & Development Coach Matt Hass told LIONS TV on Tuesday that he expects the 26-year-old big man to be ready for Round One next season.

“Trent’s going really well. He’s off crutches and walking around. He’s in the gym working on his quad strength and doing lots of conditioning work,” Hass said as part of the Bupa Recovery Report.

“He’s right on schedule, so will be back ready to roar early in the pre-season and be ready for Round One.”

The news comes after fellow knee victim Daniel Rich took further steps towards his own recovery by running at training on Monday.

Although Rich has been ruled out for the rest of 2014, he remains well ahead of schedule and should be able to complete a full pre-season ahead of next season.

Meanwhile, Matthew Leuenberger is a chance to return to on-field action this weekend after being listed as a ‘Test’ on the Lions’ latest injury list.

Promising teenager Tom Cutler is also close to resuming after missing the past few weeks with a groin strain.