At his lowest moments, Brett Deledio thought about writing off his debut season with the GIANTS.
Deledio was in sparkling pre-season form until he pinged his right calf in February, and had so many setbacks with it in the following months that he admits he "lost count", but it was when his 'good' left calf went in June that he truly contemplated flicking the bails for the year.
The 30-year-old said his wife Katie and young daughter Milla kept him sane, and the support of his family and friends back in Melbourne, his new teammates, and the GIANTS medical staff, allowed him to see an end to his injury worries in 2017.
Speaking ahead of his long-awaited GIANTS debut on Saturday against Melbourne in Canberra, Deledio said he was a lucky man.
"Thoughts definitely did go through my head that maybe I'd be better off just cooling the heels for the rest of the year and getting it right," he said.
"But I've got an incredibly supportive family and a good bunch of friends, and I've leant on them quite a bit.
"I've always looked at it like 'what other options have I got?' and we're a great chance to go a long way this year, so I wanted to give myself every shot to be a part of that.
"There was always that motivation so I never wanted to give up."
Deledio said the challenge of fitting in at his new club after spending 12 years at Richmond also tested his patience, especially with the dual All Australian confined to the role as a spectator for most of the regular season.
"It certainly has been a challenge and I've had some dark days," he said.
"You want nothing more than to be able to go out and earn the respect of your teammates, show them what you can do, and show them the reasons you came here, but when you're battling away on the cross-trainer and in the pool it makes it hard.
"It can be a lonely place at times, but the boys have been fantastic in getting around me.
"They've always made sure I'm feeling ok and invited me for dinners and lunches, and made me feel as much a part of the group as if I was playing."
GIANTS coach Leon Cameron said his star recruit would play mainly as a forward against the Demons, and Deledio admitted that he was expecting plenty of pre-game nerves, in what will be his first senior game since round 17 last year.
"That’s what you play footy for, playing against a great footy side in Melbourne is a great challenge for us," he said.
"I'm excited to get down there and I'll just provide as much energy as I can, and if I can do my job I'll be happy."
The GIANTS take on Melbourne in the nation’s capital on Saturday at 1:45pm at UNSW Canberra Oval. CLICK HERE for tickets.
