Jake Dooley doesn't want a nasty broken leg to be the way he leaves a football field for the last time.
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Dooley's Parkes homecoming was ruined by a horror broken leg suffered in last season's June long weekend derby clash with Forbes.
It led to speculation the flying fullback could retire, but Dooley is determined to play on after signing with the Wagga Kangaroos.
Dooley is set for his first season in Group Nine since being the competition's leading tryscorer in 2019 after signing for Wagga Kangaroos.
Dooley has been back in Wagga for almost 12 months but travelled to play with Parkes last season.
He left Group Nine ahead of the 2020 season looking to taste premiership success with his hometown club.
COVID thwarted his first attempt and after two seasons with Souths Newcastle thought he owed the Spacemen another shot so elected to travel to play for the club.
However his plans come unstuck at Pioneer Oval against the Magpies.
He wasn't prepared to commit to travelling more than three hours for another season with Parkes so instead elected to link with Kangaroos.
"It's a little bit too far," Dooley said.
"I got injured last year so it's too far to play footy at Parkes again but it was good at the time."
However the way things finished off at Parkes is a real driving force behind Dooley's return.
Even if he doesn't want to put too many expectations on himself.
"I didn't want to finish up being taken away (in an ambulance)," he said.
"Mentally I think I've still got a little bit left in me and it's been good to get out of the house, get training and get around the team environment again.
"I want to work towards something to keep my mind occupied."
Dooley broke both his tibia and fibula after being caught awkwardly in a tackle, however his knee is his biggest concern at the moment.
The surgery required to correct the breaks saw a rod inserted through his patella tendon, but Dooley is pleased with how things are starting to come along.
"I'm coming back from a pretty serious injury but I'm back running and have been training with them for the last few weeks and it's pulling up alright," he said.
"I've just been seeing how I do at training but it seems I've been going pretty good."
Dooley's departure is the latest off-season blow for Parkes after star forwards Jack Buchanan, Wiil Wardle Takitau Mapapalangi and Joe Duffy all left the club.
Courtney Rees
Courtney is a sports journalist from The Daily Advertiser focusing on Group Nine, Southern Inland, cricket, harness racing and greyhound racing.
Courtney is a sports journalist from The Daily Advertiser focusing on Group Nine, Southern Inland, cricket, harness racing and greyhound racing.
