DANIEL Markworth has been through more ups and downs than most 21-year-olds. From the excitement of draft day to the despair of injury, his recent journey has been a stern character building exercise.

Rather than discourage the mid-sized forward, the hardships have strengthened his resolve, and Markworth is confident an AFL debut is a possibility this year if he can rediscover his 2012 form that had him on the cusp of a senior game.

“In my first year at the club I overcame some niggling injuries and as my body adapted to the AFL lifestyle I started to play some reasonable football for Sandringham and was made emergency three times toward seasons end,” Markworth said in a speech at Thursday’s season launch.

“I felt confident that I was close to a call up and was full of confidence to attack the next pre-season and give myself the best chance possible.”

But at a time when Markworth was on top of the world, he came crashing down to earth when he ruptured his ACL laying a tackle in Boulder, Colorado in late 2012.

In the immediate recovery period, his mind raced. It’s never easy for anyone to come to terms with a 12-month injury, let alone for a 19-year-old heading into the final year of his contract.

“I asked myself many questions,” he said: “Will I play this upcoming year? What does my rehab look like? What will I miss out on? When will I run again? Will I ever be the same as I was before the injury? Will I even be here next year?”

St Kilda put his mind at ease and extended his contract to the end of 2014. It was that allowed him “to concentrate on my rehab and not worry about rushing back.”

In the middle of the year, while most of his teammates were looking no further ahead than their next game, Markworth travelled to Queensland for a week-long training camp in a bid to freshen up his mind and get away from the Melbourne winter.

“Rehab can be an isolating place but it was the support from the people around me who made my year that much more enjoyable and positive,” he recalls. “Now that I am fit and healthy I have a real feeling that I have to deliver.”

But it hasn’t all been smooth sailing this pre-season for 2011 No.35 draft pick, who travelled to Boulder with his teammates last November for the second time.

“When I was training on the exact same field as I had been 12 months earlier I hurt my knee again. Naturally, I feared the worst and was despondent but fortunately it was just a minor setback.”

Since Markworth arrived at the Saints, 32 new players have joined St Kilda, with many of them debuting in a period of transition and rebuild for the club.

“I’ve watched my fellow draftees play senior football,” he said. “I’m proud to see Seb Ross, Jimmy Webster and Jack Newnes play senior footy but I want to be out there with them. I see them do it and it makes me hungrier than ever.”

“With so many new faces, and healthy competition for spots, there are a lot of us on a steep learning curve, which of course can also result in massive improvement.”

“There is a lot of good energy around the place and a real sense of unity and purpose as we embark on taking this club back to being the contender it was not so long ago.”

You can follow Tom Morris on Twitter: @tommorris32