Exciting Richmond key position youngster Liam McBean is on the verge of returning to the main training group, as he nears the end of a rehabilitation phase caused by an ankle injury last season.

The 203cm 19-year-old has already set his sights on being available for the start of the AFL season, after an impressive first year in the system.

McBean was on the verge of making his AFL debut late in the 2013 season, before injury struck while playing for Coburg in Round 18 of the VFL.

“It was very frustrating.  It’s not a great way to spend the second pre-season, but in the end it’s good to be able to build a bit of resilience in the rehab group,” McBean told Roar Vision.

Sign up as a Richmond member for the 2014 season, online at the Tigers’ membership web hub

“I’m just trying to work hard to get back into the main group.  Gradually I’m getting there, so hopefully in the next couple of weeks I can see some training action.

“I really want to get my ankle right and play some games in the pre-season.  Then I want to set my sights on Round 1, or an early debut.”

McBean was one of the standout Richmond-listed players in the VFL last year, kicking 37 goals in 14 appearances.

He booted four bags of four goals or more, and was kept goalless only once.

“I felt like I was playing some really solid footy in the VFL, and was building towards hopefully playing some AFL footy,” McBean said.

“I had spoken to a lot of the coaches - I was bugging a few of them for a number of weeks.

“I didn’t really think I’d play at the start of the year, and it got to the middle part and I had ‘Choco’ (Mark Williams) down my back telling me I’d better get my stuff into gear.

“Every week I was getting told ‘you’re getting there, you’re getting closer’, and in the end I didn’t play, but hopefully I can build some consistent footy and play this year.”