St Kilda veteran Sam Fisher admits his future is uncertain, but his focus is currently fixed on returning from his latest hamstring setback and making a contribution before worrying about what next season holds.
The dual Trevor Barker Award winner played nine of the opening ten games of this season before suffering a hamstring strain at training in the lead-up to the Saints’ trip to Adelaide in Round 11.
Fisher, who has played 225 games in 13 seasons at St Kilda, suffered a minor setback in his rehabilitation, but is on track to return through the VFL next weekend, leaving less than two months of the year to go.
The 34-year-old says the decision will be determined by whether his body can handle the rigours of training and playing for another year and where he fits into the clubs list management puzzle.
“It is an option but I haven’t crossed that line yet, I’ve just got to get back to playing and then see how I go for the remaining month to six weeks of footy,” Fisher told Melbourne radio station RSN.
“It will probably be the clubs (decision) I’d say. We’ll have to have that discussion. But that all depends on firstly my body.
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“Secondly, if I do come back and if I’m still contributing to the team the way they want me to and then thirdly where the list’s at, who they’re looking at to bring in through trade or free agency – we’ve got [Jake] Carlisle coming back.”
On the back of St Kilda’s improvement this season, the decorated backman says he wants to part of the rise for as long as his body and form permits.
“If my body and form allows me to there’s no reason why not. If I can still play to the level I played at for the first nine games I don’t think there’s any reason to stop,” Fisher said.
“I’ve been told by a couple of people you’re a long time retired, so I’d love to keep playing, I love the game.
“With the exciting young group that we’ve got and the form we’ve showed over the course of this things are pretty special for us so why wouldn’t you want to be a part of that?”
Having been plucked from West Adelaide with pick No. 55 in the 2003 National Draft, Fisher has become one of the Saints' most economical selections since the Drafts inception. And there might be more to come.
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