Richmond ruckman Shaun Hampson is anticipating the ankle surgery that he underwent at the end of the 2015 season will enable him to take a significant leap in his league football career next year with the Tigers.

Hampson, who has been hampered with injuries throughout his nine years at the game’s highest level, managed only four senior appearances in 2015, which was his second season at Richmond after being traded from Carlton.  He’s played just 78 games all-up since making his AFL debut in 2007.

“The ankles had been troubling me all year,” Hampson said on SEN.

“I’d gone over on them quite badly a few times . . .

“It cost me about four or five games throughout the year and I’ve just done it my whole football career, gone over on them.  So, it was about time to get them done. 

“I had both reconstructed, just tightened up, bone spurs taken out, and bit of loose bone. 

“Apparently I’m going to be feeling much better in the next six months. 

“I’ll hopefully start jogging just before we head back (to pre-season training) late November.  And then I’m hoping, maybe after Christmas some time, to start having a proper train with the boys.”

Hampson revealed the frustration he’d felt over the course of his two seasons at Tigerland.

“The last couple of years haven’t gone exactly how I wanted for me,” he said.

“My body’s been partly to blame for that . . . I’ve just never been able to get a good run. 

“I start hitting some good form, and I get injured. 

“It happened again this year.  I played some good footy against my old mob (Carlton in Round 15), and then ended up doing my ankle against Freo (Round 17) . . .

“I had a week off and then came back against Adelaide.  But I wasn’t quite right, and it cost me for the rest of the season. 

“If I can just get a bit of consistency with my body, I know I can still play some really good footy.”

Hampson is extremely keen to repay Richmond for the strong backing it has provided him with.

“The Club’s great.  They’ve put a lot of faith in me, and they still think I’ve got a lot of upside to my game,” he said.

“Brendon Lade’s at the Club as the midfield coach, and he constantly tells me he didn’t start playing good footy (at Port Adelaide) until he was 27. 

“I just want a good, injury-free pre-season, and if I can get a season where the body’s right, look after myself, I know I can play some good footy.”