Daniel Menzel Biography

Sydney delists Daniel Menzel.

Menzel managed seven games at the Swans in 2019 after 73 matches across nine years on Geelong's list.

Daniel Menzel will be sidelined for at least a month after suffering a slight setback in his return from groin surgery at training.

Daniel Menzel undergoes groin surgery and faces a race against the clock to be fit for the start of the 2019 season.

Sydney signs Daniel Menzel as a delisted free agent.

"I'm really thankful and excited at the opportunity the Swans have given me and I'm looking forward to getting into the club and training with my new teammates," Menzel said.

"Success is obviously a real motivator and the Swans were really appealing to me for that reason."

Sydney confirms its interest in Dan Menzel with Swans list manager Kinnear Beatson revealing that the club will put him through a medical.

"Daniel is heading back to Melbourne soon and we will have a medical done on him. Once we've got all the facts, we'll make a decision on which way we go there," Beatson said.

Delisted Cat Daniel Menzel could still be thrown an AFL lifeline with his manager confirming he has been in discussions with as many as five clubs.

"The kicker in all this is his body and how that all is. He's had four knee reconstructions and his knee is absolutely fine. The groin issue that he had this year is now completely fine," Menzel's manager Adam Ramanauskas told RSN said.

"If I was making a sales pitch to a club looking for that type of player, you'd be saying 'guys go and have a look at the first five games of the season when he was fully fit and was able to get up and back in that forward line'. That's the player that you're going to get with another full pre-season."

Geelong delist Daniel Menzel.

Menzel played just 13 AFL games in 2018 while struggling to overcome a reaction to an injection for a groin injury.

"Dan's perseverance and resilience to undergo four major knee operations and come back the way he has is a credit to his work ethic and mental toughness," Geelong general manager of football Simon Lloyd said.

Daniel Menzel will be forced to wait until the end of the NAB AFL Trade Period to learn whether he will continue life as a Cat.

Despite Chris Scott's wishes to retain Menzel on a one-year deal after a blistering start to the season, the 26-year-old remains without an offer on the table.

Available to move to his club of choice as an unrestricted free agent, Menzel had been canvassing opportunities before heading off on holidays.

At least two clubs, including St Kilda, have made approaches to Geelong forward Daniel Menzel's management about securing his services.

"It's more likely he'll stay at his club, but at the same time, and this is absolutely no different to last year, if there's a multi-year offer for Daniel at another football club, he has to consider it. I can't be any more clearer than that," Menzel's manager Adam Ramanauskas said.

Cats coach Chris Scott is confident Geelong will ward off interest from rival AFL clubs to sign talented forward Daniel Menzel to a new deal.

"He's an unrestricted free agent and it's his right, as a player that's out of contract, to have a look at his options," Scott said.

"We'd like Dan to stay and we'd like him to sign a contract with us but we respect St Kilda and all the other clubs' rights to investigate the situation.

"My suspicion is that Dan will stay with us."

Daniel Menzel says fellow ACL victim Alex Johnson's AFL comeback after 2136 days on the sidelines gives hope to other players who have gone down with the dreaded injury.

"To have a real positive like this is so good because it does show there's the good that comes with the bad," Menzel said.

"We definitely help each other because it's such a long, lonely period, it does make a difference when people get around you."

Daniel Menzel has spoken of the pain he suffered after injections for groin soreness backfired and left him struggling to walk.

The luckless Geelong forward booted 15 goals in five games in a red-hot start to the season before reportedly having two cortisone injections which had adverse effects.

"I was OK 24 hours later and about 48 hours later I was in agonising pain where I literally couldn’t walk because every time I moved my joint would move as well," Menzel told the To The Final Bell podcast.

"It was agony. I actually remember it was (before) the Sydney game here (at Geelong in round six), the week that I was going to miss anyway, and I was in hospital.

"For a good week I couldn't walk properly and couldn't train for a month all up."

Cats coach Chris Scott remains bullish about Daniel Menzel returning to the side despite reports he could miss the rest of the season with an ongoing groin injury.

"He could [miss the season], and I could win Tattslotto tomorrow night as well. I mean, anything's possible. Is it likely? Not on the feedback I've been given," Scott said.

"Let me clarify, he wasn't training, but he was moving and running. To put that in context, when he first had this flare-up, he couldn't walk."

Cats coach Chris Scott says Daniel Menzel has an understanding with the club that he will only ever be offered one-year deals moving forward.

Menzel has been in scintillating form, kicking 14 goals from his four games this season, including five against St Kilda.

"He's just not a candidate for a long-term deal due to his injury history. No responsible club would do that," Scott said.

"He understands that, there's been a history of really high-level players who have played on one-year contracts. It doesn't preclude him from playing good footy."

Daniel Menzel signs a one-year contract extension with Geelong after unsuccessfully seeking a new AFL home during the trade period as an unrestricted free agent.

Daniel Menzel heads a list of six players overlooked in this year's free agency period.

Menzel did not receive an offer from a rival team by Sunday's 5pm deadline, while fellow free agents Nick Suban (Fremantle), Ben Howlett (Essendon), Simon White (Carlton), Ben Sinclair (Collingwood) and Claye Beams (Brisbane Lions) were all left in limbo too.

The hunt for a longer-term contract continues for Daniel Menzel, who has received interest from rival clubs, his manager Adam Ramanauskas says.

Geelong has offered Menzel a one-year contract but the unrestricted free agent wants more security after having endured four knee reconstructions throughout his career.

"There's other clubs out there, it's just whether they pull the trigger," Ramanauskas said.

Daniel Menzel is a surprise omission from the Geelong to take on Richmond in their qualifying final.

Menzel's manager, however, says his client still wants to remain at the club.

"I think any person is surprised when they're dropped when you've kicked 38 goals in 17 games this season," Adam Ramanauskas told radio station RSN.

"He's disappointed with being omitted from the side, but at the same time there's still a lot of football to be played in September.

"He's got a great attitude after coming back from four knee reconstructions, so he wants to be (at Geelong).

"He knows he's got to work on the defensive side of his game, and he's prepared to do that."

Daniel Menzel's manager, Adam Ramanauskas, says his client is keen to secure a longer-team deal after signing a series of one-year contracts.

"His one-year contracts have all been signed after the season. Would Daniel like a contract from Geelong in front of him now? Absolutely," Ramanauskas told RSN radio.

"He wants a longer-term contract, there's no doubt about that. But there's been no offer from Geelong."

Asked if Ablett and his possible return to Geelong was playing a part in the Cats' decision to delay contract negotiations with his client, Ramanauskas said: "probably".

Daniel Menzel is not ruling out a return home to South Australia, despite saying he is happy at the Cats.

"It's one that I'd be lying if I said you don't ever think about it," Menzel said.

"It's a business and my family's all back there but at the same time the club (Geelong) has been so good to me.

"I do love getting back home, I really do, and I enjoy catching up with mates and family back there, but I think I have a pretty good balance too. I'll see how it plays out. I think I'm happy with how things are at the moment."

Dan Menzel says he would be happy to sign another one-year deal with the Cats but adds that he doesn't expect contract discussions to begin with the club until mid-year.

"I'm okay with whatever we work out and if it is one year it is one year. I look at myself and go I'm playing some okay footy at the moment but I think I will actually get better over the next couple of years," Menzel said.

"I still haven't played 50 games yet. It will be nice to play my best footy in 50- 100 plus [games]. I am happy with where it is at."

Geelong plays it safe with Daniel Menzel by resting him for the Cats' clash against Collingwood despite his prolific start to season.

"For the first time this year there are a few really mild signs," Cats coach Chris Scott said.

"His history is well documented, and being a little bit safer is a better mistake if you do make one.

"He's disappointed to miss but he acknowledges, especially given the work he and his team have done over the last couple of years, that it has to happen at some point."

Daniel Menzel will be rested from games this year to ensure his body remains healthy.

"I'm not going to play 15 games in a row," he said.

"It's not realistic for me and I had a little chop-out in training today. I could've trained the full training and felt pretty good but we're going to be smart with this.

"Last year, I limped to the finish line and I don't want that to happen again.

"When it comes the time that I have to rest, I might not want to but it's going to be the best thing for me."

Daniel Menzel has been rewarded with a one-year contract extension after getting his stalled career back on track in 2016.

Menzel kicked 33 goals from 18 games in 2016 to put a career-threatening run of four knee reconstructions behind him.

"The club always stood by me and so the challenge and focus for me was always getting through a full season," Menzel said.

"I expect with another pre-season I will be in an even better position to contribute in 2017. We have exciting times ahead and I want to play my part in the club having success."

Daniel Menzel says he needed the help of psychologists to get over missing out on the Cats' 2011 premiership.

Menzel suffered the first of four ruptured anterior cruciate ligaments against the Hawks in that year's qualifying final and said missing out on playing in the Grand Final haunted him.

"It's one that throughout my rehab I struggled with at times after missing out ... I held on to that a fair bit," he said.

"It did drive and motivate me but after speaking with psychologists who helped me overcome the pain of not being part of that you don't really think about that (any more) because it might make you down or flat or negative."

Next Friday night, Geelong's comeback kid Dan Menzel will play his first final since his first serious knee injury five years ago.

Immediately after the siren went to end Geelong's home and away season, Menzel began to think about what lay ahead as much as what had gone before.

"That [playing finals] has been my biggest driver and motivator," Menzel said.

"To get through the game, have a win and play my role …the realisation was there then that I will actually be there in a week and a bit and get to play my first final in five years.

"I don't think I have been happier this year to be honest."

Jimmy Bartel says a safer alternative to the synthetic turf surrounding AFL grounds needs to be found quickly.

Bartel had watched teammate Daniel Menzel injure his ankle after sliding across the artificial surface and crashing into the fence when the Cats defeated North Melbourne at Etihad Stadium.

Having just returned from four knee reconstructions, Menzel was upset after the game and spoke to the AFL Players' Association and the League itself about the issue.

The AFLPA said it had contacted players from all clubs since the Menzel injury.

They had expressed concerns over the proximity of the synthetic turf to the playing surface, which made it more difficult to slow down and/or change direction.

"The players also feel that the synthetic turf is harder and more abrasive than natural turf, leading to more painful injuries when landing or sliding," the statement said.

"We have raised these concerns with the AFL and requested that this matter be reviewed in a timely manner, with a view to finding a better solution."

Bartel told SEN that players were of the view that they should not just accept the risk.

"I think we can find a better alternative that has a little bit more give in it than that style of AstroTurf. It is like concrete," he said.

"We are of the opinion that you shouldn't just accept it as it is."

As Clay Smith makes his long awaited return from a third knee reconstruction in the VFL this weekend, he has the best wishes of Daniel Menzel, who has endured a similar battle with multiple knee injuries.

"When I heard he was going to play this weekend I texted him saying I was rapt for him and that I would definitely be keeping an eye on him," Menzel said.

"I said enjoy the game and be proud of what you've achieved because like me, he wants to come back and play good footy.

"I feel so pumped for Clay because he's so excited to be playing again and he's worked so hard to get there."

Daniel Menzel says he has more important things to worry about now than his knee.

"Mentally, it is a different ball game for me because it has gone from the challenges off-field to the challenges on-field, what I have to do and what I have to bring [each week]," Menzel said.

"I don't think about my knee in a game any more at all."

Daniel Menzel says playing his first senior game in 2016 provided him with the same "amazing" feeling he had when he played two late-season games last year.

The 24-year-old, in just his third senior game in nearly five years, took just six minutes to show his class with a slick handball to Lincoln McCarthy that resulted in a Geelong goal.

It was the start of a satisfying day for Menzel, who said he eventually picked up the pace finishing with 15 disposals, seven marks and a goal.

"It was amazing," he said.

"To be back in the team and to have another win is a pretty surreal feeling."

After undergoing 10 operations on his knee, Alex Johnson says he is using Daniel Menzel's return from multiple knee reconstructions as motivation in his own attempts at resurrecting his career.

"Seeing someone like that (Daniel Menzel) go through four reconstructions and then come back the way he did in the AFL gives me a lot of hope, and he's a huge inspiration to me," Johnson said.

"He missed a lot of football and so have I, so I think 'if he's able to do it, then why can't I'?"

Daniel Menzel believes he can win his "massive mental battle" and end 2016 a better player than before the first of his four knee reconstructions.

"As long as I can manage my knee as much as possible, in my eyes I can't see why I couldn't be a better player than I was in 2011," Menzel said.

"That's probably one of the goals for me, and then it's staying on the park every week and playing my role and just improving every single week."

Anthony Morabito says his friendship with Geelong forward Daniel Menzel has been a great source of inspiration as the luckless Docker looks to work his way back to senior football in 2016.

"Dan has not only been a good resource but a good friend," Morabito said.

"We got drafted the same year and we've unfortunately had a mirror set of injuries.

"When you've been through this sort of stuff you can really bounce ideas off each other, more so the mental side of things."

Dan Menzel signs a one-year contract with Geelong as he looks to build on his exceptional late-season return from four knee reconstructions.

Daniel Menzel put four knee reconstructions behind him to play a superb comeback game against Collingwood.

Menzel kicked four goals, collected 20 touches and also took a screamer in the last quarter to be one of Geelong's best.

The performance wasn't enough to get his team home but it was enough to remind everyone what a loss to the game, and the Cats, his enforced absence has been.

"[You] never lose your footy smarts and never lose your skills either," Menzel said after the game.

"[But] you sit on the outside you watch it and you go 'I don't know if I've still got it', but as soon as you get out there everything is still the same."

Geelong coach Chris Scott is prepared to err on the side of caution and hold Daniel Menzel back from his much-anticipated comeback.

The 23-year-old has played six VFL games and is on the verge of a senior return after four knee reconstructions.

"I want to make sure we give him every chance to play another 150 games of AFL football," Scott said.

"If we make a mistake by being too tardy in getting him back, I can live with that one.

"I can't live with the reverse."

Daniel Menzel makes a successful return in his first game of football in more than two years, collecting almost 20 touches in three quarters against Werribee in the VFL.

"To have played it and get through, it's an amazing feeling," Menzel said.

"To just be back out there with your teammates is one of the most special things about it.

"I haven't had any doubts. I feel like we've done so much work in the gym that I always knew if we got a good crack at it, my body would hold up.

"For me personally, if I can get back into that AFL team and get back out there doing what I love, it's driven me every single day for the last four years so I'm confident in my body."

Luckless Geelong forward Daniel Menzel is set to play his first game in more than two years with the Cats planning for him to make his return through the VFL this weekend.

"He's just to get through these sessions this week and he'll play this weekend," Cats football manager Steve Hocking said.

"We just wish him well and hope all the work he's put in pays off for him. It'll be great because he's such a talented young man."

Daniel Menzel is three weeks away from making a return to football as his rehabilitation from the latest knee reconstruction gathers pace.

"I ran 13km yesterday and it was a massive session. I did a really big footy session with the boys mid-week," Menzel said.

"I did a lot of contested stuff, tackling and marking and got taken to the ground.

"It's probably the first week in maybe two years I've actually felt like I could play if I needed to play this week."

Daniel Menzel has had a setback in his road to recovery after straining a hamstring at training.

"He'll get over this one pretty quickly," Geelong coach Chris Scott said.

"I think he is wondering what else can go wrong but he is taking the mindset of it is not going to be smooth sailing from here on in. He is going to have his ups and downs and this is a little blow but not one he can't recover from."

Geelong coach Chris Scott says he remains optimistic that Daniel Menzel and Nathan Vardy can have long-term careers at Geelong.

"We're thinking long-term with them," Scott said.

"We're not thinking, let's try to squeeze 30 games out of these two boys and then cast them aside. We're still optimistic they can have five-, eight- or nine-year careers with us."

Daniel Menzel says he sought out a psychologist as he tried to come to terms with the mental burden of four consecutive knee reconstructions.

"I was really struggling at that point and it (seeking out a psychologist) was something we identified," Menzel said.

"It helped dramatically. It really did."

Menzel also sought the advice of former North Melbourne and Sydney Swans great Wayne Schwass who went through his own mental issues during his AFL career.

Schwass has worked extensively in the area of mental health since going public with his battle with depression in 2006.

Menzel said Schwass urged him to find other interests outside of football that would help the Cat take his mind off being injured all the time.

The 23-year-old will again coach the Newtown-Chilwell Under-14 team in Geelong in 2015, while he was also a guest on K-Rock radio's pre-game show throughout 2014.

"I noticed in the past that if I had a setback, I'd go home and sit on my own and wouldn't talk to anyone," Menzel said.

"But what I learned was that you've got to seek out people and do other things to help you move on.

"That's something he told me and it's certainly worked."

Daniel Menzel has begun to join in selected drills during the club's main training sessions, although his knee continues to be monitored closely by Geelong's fitness staff.

"I've had a really good 12-14 weeks but there's a lot of soreness in it (the knee)," Menzel said.

"Being a tendon issue, we need to push it to where it is sore, but not go above the threshold.

"So it could take three months for the pain to go down or it could take six to nine months.

"It's a real unknown, which is frustrating at times, but I know, if we keep on top of the rehab, hopefully I can play a fair bit of next year."

Daniel Menzel says he is on track in his recovery from a fourth knee reconstruction but is still months away from reaching peak fitness.

"I'm going alright at the moment but I'm still a good six months away from being fully fit and where I want to be," Menzel told SEN radio.

Daniel Menzel has taken another positive step in his recovery from four knee reconstructions, finishing fourth in the Cats' 2km time trial on Monday.

As he continues to recover from a bad run of injuries, Daniel Menzel has been keeping himself busy by working for the AFL Players' Association, doing special comments on K-Rock radio and coaching an under-14 team at Geelong league club Newtown & Chilwell.

"It keeps me busy, which is good because it keeps my mind off my knee and off footy, I guess," Menzel said.

"And it will give me an idea of what I want to do down the track."

Daniel Menzel has set himself to be on the track on the first day of pre-season after being told by Geelong that he will remain on the club's list next year.

"The club has been amazing to me," Menzel said.

"They've already told me they're going to keep me on for next year.

"It's a credit to them, because that instantly takes that out of my head. I don't have to worry about contracts or the future or things like that."

Just days after being ruled out for the rest of the season, Geelong's Daniel Menzel has gone under the knife yet again.

The 22-year-old had the surgery in an attempt to be fully fit for pre-season training, and he remains committed to returning to the field in 2015.

"Dan's had a minor procedure this morning on his knee," Cats physio Mike Snelling said.

"It was basically just to clean up some scar tissue around his latest surgery around the patella tendon, and we expect him to be back on track within a month or so."

Geelong confirm that Daniel Menzel will not play in 2014.

The 22-year-old has been experiencing tendinitis in his left knee (the one that has been reconstructed three times) and his specialists have decided to postpone his return to the field until 2015.

"The reconstruction is progressing well," Geelong's general manager of football Neil Balme said.

"Part of Dan's patella tendon was used in the graft, and this is the area that is causing the problems.

"We are looking at the long-term here, so there is no point rushing Dan's return."

Geelong will maintain a cautious approach when it comes to Daniel Menzel's return to football, with a case of knee tendinitis set to push his aim of a mid-year return back another month.

"We were going pretty well up until about a month ago and we just had a couple of minor hiccups," Menzel told Geelong radio station K-Rock said.

"Pretty much we just have a little bit of tendinitis in the front of the knee.

"I've probably been set back a month or so, but hopefully now we're right on top of it and it can't set us back too much, I guess."

Geelong place Allen Christensen, Nathan Vardy and Daniel Menzel on its long-term injury list with only Mark Blicavs being upgraded from their rookie list at this stage.

Daniel Menzel hopes to return to football from his fourth knee reconstruction in June of 2014.

"For us, and the physios have agreed, that 10 months is the earliest we'll look at playing in the VFL, obviously at first," Menzel said.

"That gives us until June next year, which for me gives me enough time to hopefully play good enough footy in the VFL and get back in the AFL before the finals.

"However, if we do have setbacks then we'll just have to adjust our plans accordingly and put it back if we need to put it back."

Daniel Menzel says he hopes to recover from his latest serious knee injury in time to play a part in the Cats' finals campaign in 2014.

"When you've got any long-term injury, the number one thing you have to do is have short-term goals, so you've got to take it a week at a time," he said.

"When you're looking ahead, (your comeback date) is so far away, and it's so hard to keep motivated.

"But I'm as motivated and determined as ever to come back and hopefully be a part of finals in 2014."

After undergoing his fourth knee reconstruction, Daniel Menzel will the American city of Philadelphia where he will train under the guidance of renowned sports injury expert Bill Knowles.

"I've had a pretty intense couple of weeks at the club, so that I'm ready to go over and see Bill," Menzel said.

"I've been at the club from 9am to 5pm nearly every day. I've been doing leg weights, stability or balance control, bike sessions, swimming sessions, core work.

"It's about getting everything right, not just my knee, so I hopefully won't have any more injuries down the track."

Despite having to undergo a fourth knee reconstruction, Daniel Menzel says he is determined to make another comeback.

"I look forward to as far away as it is, coming back to AFL at some stage in 2014 and I will never give up as it means everything to me!" Menzel tweeted.

"I want to thank everyone for their messages and ongoing support after a mentally challenging week and throughout my next stage of rehab."

Cats coach Chris Scott says the club is devastated with Daniel Menzel's latest knee injury.

"Without wanting to exaggerate, I think it was the hardest day I've ever had in footy," Scott said.

"It's devastating for all of us. Right at the moment, we as a football club are all for one. We will stand by Dan with everything we've got."

Daniel Menzel's AFL career is in jeopardy after suffering a fourth serious knee injury.

Menzel hurt his left knee - the one that he had LARS surgery on late last year - while playing for the Cats' VFL team against Box Hill at Simonds Stadium

"He pivoted on that knee when an opponent tried to get around him," Geelong physio Mike Snelling said.

"He felt an immediate pop and some pain and he was pretty adamant that he had done some damage.

"We've subsequently scanned him, and that's the knee that had the LARS graft, and that graft is snapped up near its insertion.

"Now … we've all got to get our heads together and think about the future for Dan's knee - what's best for his knee."

Daniel Menzel faces a nervous wait for scans to determine if he has any new knee damage after hobbling off in the VFL.

"Menzel will have scans on his knee this week to ascertain the extent of the injury," a club spokesman said in a statement.

"When the club has the results of these scans we will provide an update on Daniel's injury."

Daniel Menzel will make his return to football after his third reconstruction in the VFL.

"We can talk about the devastation and the frustration, but I'm more inclined to talk about the excitement of getting such a valuable player … back into our VFL system first, then give him the chance to fight his way into our AFL team," Cats coach Chris Scott said.

"We can choose to focus on the fact that it's a sad story – and he's been through a hell of a lot. But the information I get from the experts is that there's no reason he can't come back and be the player he was."

Paul Chapman says Geelong's senior players are doing their best to offer support to Daniel Menzel as he attempts to make a comeback from a third knee reconstruction.

"It's hard to comprehend, especially for me, because I haven't really had any major injuries like that," Chapman said.

"I go and talk to 'Menz' and see how he's going. I talk about his rehab and see where he's at, and I think that helps.

"It's good for him to know that the older players care about him and for him to get the chance to talk about it."

After enduring two failed comebacks from knee reconstructions, Geelong forward Daniel Menzel has turned to LARS surgery in a bid to revive his career.

"Because I'd already had two conventional reconstructions we weren't going to do a third one," Menzel said.

"Two in a row is hard enough mentally, three is too much.

"Fremantle's Anthony Morabito has had exactly the same thing and he's having LARS as well because you just can't do three (reconstructions) back-to-back pretty much."

Geelong's Daniel Menzel suffers a setback in his recovery from a knee reconstruction, straining his knee during a training drill.

"Dan had a minor mishap at training … and we just wanted to make sure that the best treatment was available for him back in Geelong, so he's stayed back there," Cats development coach Nigel Lappin said.

"He was just doing a little bit of twisting work, but it was nothing major at all, so he'll be fine."

Daniel Menzel has endured a horrible 14 months, but the young Cat believes his injury woes are now behind him.

The knees are both going to be stronger than they were before. So, from what I'm feeling, I don't think I'll have any more trouble with them for the rest of my career," Menzel said.

"That's what gets me through every training session - the thought of playing again. I dream about being there next year in the Grand Final. That's my goal."

Daniel Menzel hopes to play in next year's NAB Cup as he recovers from his second knee reconstruction.

"NAB Cup's the goal at the moment," Menzel said.

"It's a realistic goal, and we'll obviously take it as it comes, but I'd love to get one or two games in before round one (of the 2013 premiership season) to build up my confidence and make sure I don't have any hesitation."

Injured Cat Daniel Menzel says the experience gleaned from his previous right ACL injury will hold him in good stead as he embarks on another recovery, this time on his left ACL.

"For me the one thing I can take out of it is that I've done the rehab on the other knee over the last nine months and at least I'll know where I'll be at," Menzel told Geelong's K-Rock radio station.

"I feel that will be a really good guide and hopefully I'll be able to rehabilitate this knee better than my last one."

Cats coach Chris Scott says the club will try to involve Daniel Menzel in an off-field capacity to try to keep his spirits up as he recovers from a second knee reconstruction.

"We're fortunate that we've got our own VFL team as well, so he could have some involvement there," Scott said.

"One thing we know is he's a student of the game and he loves footy, so we're anticipating he will want to be involved with the day-to-day running of the footy team behind the scenes."

Harry Taylor says Geelong players were shattered to learn of Daniel Menzel's new injury just before the clash with the Giants.

"I walked into the club and saw him coming down the other way towards the physio room and straight away I knew things weren't good. The mood in the changerooms was really dull," Taylor said.

"We all wanted him to do well. A lot of the boys messaged him the night before and were wishing him all the best. We were hopeful he'd get back in the next couple of weeks into the senior side."

In his return match from a knee reconstruction, Daniel Menzel injures his left knee in what appears to be another arterior cruciate ligament injury.

Daniel Menzel is likely to spend two weeks in the VFL before making his return to the Cats' senior team, most likely after their bye in round 12.

"Post-bye he will have had two full games and another really solid week of training through the bye," Cats coach Chris Scott said.

"So we wouldn't think it's out of the realms of possibility that he could come back into the team after that."

Geelong forward Daniel Menzel has re-signed with the Cats, ending speculation he could seek a trade home to South Australia.

"Obviously the urge [to return home] is there," he said.

"Every time you go back to Adelaide you enjoy yourself and you see all your mates and your family, and it's great.

"But at the same time, I love playing at the Geelong footy club, and I think we've got a bright future ahead as well so for me that outweighed it quite easily in the end."

Geelong forward Daniel Menzel says he is ahead of schedule in his recovery from a knee reconstruction.

"I've been sitting down with the physios and the other medical staff and we reckon we're ahead of schedule at the moment," he said.

"We haven't settled on a concrete date for my return to playing games, but at this stage we've pencilled in that nine-month mark after my operation.

"Hopefully somewhere around round 10 in the AFL season I'll come back through the VFL."

Despite training well, injured Cats pair Daniel Menzel and Nathan Vardy are unlikely to be fit for the early parts of the new season as they recover from knee and hip injuries respectively.

"We'd like to think they're in good shape, but to think they're going to play in the early rounds is naïve," Cats coach Chris Scott said.

"We'll wait until they're ready, and probably give them a little bit longer to be honest."

Daniel Menzel misses out on being part of a premiership team because of a knee injury but says he's hungry to achieve success with his team once he's recovered.

"I couldn't be happier for the boys," an upbeat Menzel said after the Cats' win over Collingwood.

"It's an unbelievable feeling and one that I'll remember every day when we train now. It's the thing I'll aim towards. Without a doubt it makes you hungrier. One of the coaches came up to me after the game and said, 'you'll never forget this feeling'."

Geelong has confirmed that young forward Daniel Menzel has ruptured his ACL and is likely to miss most of next season.

"Sad news today with scans confirming ACL for Dan Menzel. Hopefully we'll see him back at some point in 2012," the official Geelong Twitter feed said.

Geelong small forward Daniel Menzel is the Round 13 nominee for the AFL Rising Star after kicking four goals from 15 possessions and six marks against St Kilda.

"Daniel has been a tremendous and exciting talent for us in the forward line this year but it has also been the jobs he's done in the midfield and down back that really shows his maturity as a player," Geelong coach Chris Scott said.

"It's a credit to Daniel with the work he put in over the pre-season to now consistently demand a spot in the 22 each week."

Daniel Menzel makes his AFL debut for Geelong at Docklands Stadium with 12 disposals (5 kicks and 7 handballs), 2 marks, 2 tackles and a goal in a 101-point win over the Western Bulldogs.

Huge Crows supporter Daniel Menzel is heading east after being drafted by Geelong, and says there's no better place to develop his footy career.

"At first there was a lot of nerves, so it was a great relief to know that I had a club to go to," he said.

"And for it to be a club such as Geelong, I was extremely happy with how the cards fell in the end. Ecstatic would be a good word."