the summer of 2006.

"I thought it'd be a soft landing (on sand).

"There were rocks I didn't know about," he said.

What seemed at the time like a harmless escapade smashed his right heel - putting him on crutches

and off work for more than three months, and nipping in the bud a highly promising football career.

Driscoll had been a leading light as captain for the North Ballarat Rebels the previous year and one of the best in the TAC Cup under-18 competition.

Missing out on the AFL national and rookie drafts, Driscoll had appeared on the verge of a

promising Victorian Football League career.

What was almost certainly just weeks away at the time of the mishap is finally realised more than two years later tomorrow.

Driscoll makes his North Ballarat senior debut against Northern Bullants at Preston.

And he does it with seven pins and six plates in the heel - metal aides he will have for the rest of his life.

Although the injury had such a significant impact on his life, the 20-year-old builder does not dwell too much on the episode.

As far as Driscoll is concerned that is all behind him and all he is interested in doing is looking forward.

"I don't think much about it."

He said he was really concerned about his football future when he was initially injured, but did not take long to get over that response.

"I was always going to play again."

All he wants to do now is cement a regular place in the Selkirk Roosters line-up.

Patience has been a key to his comeback from day one.

After sitting out the 2006 football season, he did a pre-season with the Roosters under coach Gerard

FitzGerald, who also oversaw him in his last year with the Rebels.

However, playing in the VFL last year was never really an option.

Driscoll said the rigors of training three times a week and doing the extra work required to play

with North Ballarat would have been too much.

He chose to return to Navarre in the Lexton Plains Football League, where he had played his early junior football.

"I really enjoyed it.

"There wasn't the same pressure."

It was always his intention to return to the Roosters for another go at the VFL and, with the support of FitzGerald, Driscoll was able to get through a modified pre-season training regime in top shape.

Driscoll has been pressing for a spot in the team from round one, but has had to remain patient.

"I knew I'd get a chance.

"I've enjoyed playing in the twos so it (missing senior selection) hasn't worried me," he said.

Now that he is there, Driscoll is not getting too carried away.

"It'll be good."

FitzGerald said Driscoll had shown enormous resilience in modifying his natural approach to the game to get back to the required level to play in the VFL.

"Having coached him, I know the level of talent he has.

"He had a nasty injury - potentially a career-ending injury.

"The way he plays is not his natural way."

FitzGerald said Driscoll had given compelling reasons of late for his selection.