GEORGE Hewett is feeling confident in his body as the 2023 season looms.

Missing the last five games of the 2022 season due to a back issue, Hewett underwent surgery in the off-season but has been back in full training since the beginning of the new year.

Having made an impressive return last Friday against Collingwood, Hewett believes he’s ready to get back to his best when Round 1 rolls around.

“It was a back issue and I had to give up a lot in the off-season to work hard and get fit and get right – it’s so good to be playing again,” Hewett said following the Collingwood practice match.

“The medical staff were really good, letting me take my time with what I can do and to get it right.”

Hewett played out the game in the midfield at IKON Park, adding a first-quarter goal to a strong all-round performance, with the 27-year-old admitting he felt the need to slow down early in the pre-season to ensure his longevity.

Playing a physical role alongside Matt Kennedy and Patrick Cripps, Hewett noted he needed his body to hold up in tough situations.

“I played a full game out there [on Friday] and felt great in terms of running and wrestling – I felt strong, so it was good,” he said.

“It was frustrating [to miss training] but I understood – this is my 10th year and I think before that when you’re missing out, you feel like you get behind, but the older that you get, you get more balanced.”

Admitting that the balance of fit bodies versus physical training is a fine line, Hewett is certain that when the group is fit and firing, the Blues’ best will stand up against the rest of the competition.

“When we have a fit squad, I think we’re going to be really competitive,” he said.

“There’s a fine line in pre-season from going as hard as you can but also having healthy bodies, but every Club has to push the limit, don’t they?”

Whilst Carlton took home a 10-point victory in their practice match against Collingwood, Hewett noted that he saw some definite room for improvement for the Blues to tweak.

Mentioning the forward mix of smalls and talls, Hewett said he wants the group to be more efficient moving the ball forward and utilising their personnel to the best of their abilities.

“We probably didn’t quite get it right [on Friday] - the wind didn’t help - but as long as we can get the gears right, I think we’ll get a good blend of our smalls impacting the game as well as our talls,” he said. 

“We’ve also got ‘SOS’ [Silvagni] down there who plays a lot taller than he is, but then you’ve got Matt Owies, Corey Durdin, ‘Mots’ and Ed [Curnow] – it’s just that balance of playing fast and going long to the talls or [using the smalls].”