It’s a sound no footballer ever wants to hear. A click of the knee that can draw curtains on an entire season in the blink of an eye. Fortunately for seasoned midfielder Andrew Raines, the incident during the first session of 2015 wasn’t as serious as first thought. Although, it did put the brakes on what had been a strong pre-season up until that point.
 
Renowned for his meticulous approach to his preparation and his fastidious eye for detail, Raines landed at Metricon Stadium after being thrown a lifeline via last December’s rookie draft. His selection immediately equipping a young club with an experienced resource who had endured the ups and downs a decade in the game delivers.
 
Ahead of his first appearance for the Gold Coast SUNS, the former Richmond and Brisbane midfielder admits his season could have been over before it started. Possibly even his career. But, after stringing together a month of consistent performances in the NEAFL, he is ready to open the chapter on another stage of his football life.
 
“At the start, I thought it was worse than what it was. I heard a bit of a click in my knee go when I did that first session after Christmas. I thought it could have been the season, but scans revealed that I didn’t need surgery and it was the PCL not the ACL,” Raines told SUNS TV.
 
“So it was a fair bit of relief there but it was a 12-week injury. If you’re ever going to do an injury it’s probably better to do it in the pre-season or the off-season, so it worked out okay.
 
“It’s come at a really good time. I’ve backed up about four or five weeks now continuous in the reserves and my body feels good. After a good pre-Christmas training period, obviously had that injury post-Christmas, it’s good to get a couple of game under the belt and I’m ready for senior football.”
 
The son of former Richmond great Geoff carved out a durable career at the Tigers and the Lions as a tagger, with his endurance base and discipline allowing him to shutdown some of the premier midfielders of his time.
 
Despite performing a more traditional midfield role during the initial stage of his time in Carrara, Raines returned to his former self against Brisbane on the weekend. The 29-year-old nullified Lions emerging star James Aish in the second half with the effort a decisive factor in the reserves' drought-breaking victory. And it's a familiar role he might find himself performing against Adelaide on Saturday night.
 
“Just sliding back into the old role there. After half-time Josh [Fraser] just sent me on to [James] Aish. I think he had about 15 at half time so he was doing a pretty good job and he just said lock him away,” Raines said.
 
“It’s good to know that I can play in the midfield, run around and get a few touches and then play that defensive role too. I feel comfortable going back into that role if need be and obviously running through the midfield and just accumulating.”
 
As a product of the Gold Coast, Raines’ football odyssey has come full circle. A fact that hasn’t been lost on the Southport Sharks native.
 
“It’s worked out perfectly. I’m really enjoying it back home. It’s where I grew up, family and friends here and things like that so it’s going to be a special moment running out on Saturday,” Raines said.