It’s been 490 days since Noah Answerth last took the field in Chris Fagan’s best side.

After being hampered by niggling groin, hip and back injuries, Answerth struggled to get on the park through much of 2021.

But the 22-year-old looks set to make 2022 his year, returning to full training and appearing stronger than ever.

Speaking to Lions Media, Chris Fagan expressed his excitement about the prospect of having Answerth back in the side.

“Looking at him at the moment, he’s looking really strong physically, particularly through his core which was important in his recovery,” Fagan said.

“He’s been doing all the training through pre-season so far. It wasn’t much of a year for him last year, he hardly played, and we didn’t see him in the AFL team after two years where he showed so much promise.”

Fagan also suggested that a fit Answerth would be a likely inclusion to the side should his body hold up.

“He’s as fit as I’ve ever seen him… we’ve got no reason to think that with a little bit of lucky, he’ll play a full season this year and we’ll get to see a player who we’ve probably all forgotten about.

“But he’s a very, very good player and spirit wise he means a lot to the team.”