GWS Giants captain Phil Davis says he has become a more composed leader, a valuable attribute for a player who lost 20 per cent of his kidney last year and must keep his blood pressure constantly in check.
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Davis has been reinstated as Giants co-captain along with Callan Ward. The Canberra junior said last year's career-threatening kidney injury had enabled him to return to the game as a more balanced player and leader.
Davis thought his career might be over when he suffered a ruptured kidney in an accidental clash during last year's season-opening win over the Sydney Swans, the key defender requiring two operations and eight days in intensive care to save the organ.
Instead, Davis returned to AFL action just three months later and is confident he is entering the prime of his career. Davis said he had not needed to make many changes to his lifestyle.
"From all reports from the specialist, I'm at no greater risk now than I was before the injury," Davis said.
"I lost about 20 per cent of [the kidney], so the main thing for me is to maintain my blood pressure. I have to get my blood pressure checked a fair bit, I do that every couple of months to make sure it doesn't rise."
It helps that Davis, who started with the Adelaide Crows and has played 64 AFL matches, feels more comfortable in his role as captain and defender. Inaugural co-captain at the Giants in 2012, the 24-year-old in entering his fourth season in charge.
"I think I've got a more well-rounded leadership position now, I think I'm more balanced, I've got a greater ability to sense moments on and off the field in terms of what needs to be said and done," Davis said.
"I'm a bit of a perfectionist and some of those things can take a fair bit of energy out of you when you start worrying about things that probably don't need to be perfect. When you think your career might be over, it changes your perspective a little bit. It's made me see the bigger picture, understand what's really important and the fact you can have a lot more flexibility in how things are done.
"When I was younger and I had a bad contest or a bad moment on the field, I would dwell on it and it would linger with me for a few minutes. It really does affect your ability to contest the next ball or make a good decision going forward. That's something I've had to work on. Getting irritated and frustrated is part of the game, it's about how you respond to that."
A former Marist College student in Canberra, Davis will lead the Giants to the national capital next month for a pre-season match against the Swans.
It's the first of three matches the Giants will play in Canberra within a month, including premiership games against the Melbourne Demons on April 11 and the Anzac Day clash against the Gold Coast Suns on April 25.
"The first five weeks are really important to get some momentum rolling for the year, so that can help set up our season," Davis said.
"The inclusion of Ryan Griffen and Joel Patfull - two standout players in the competition - add that to our younger players all having another year's experience, I think we're in a really good position to improve, be super-competitive and hopefully win more games."
