Hawks player Tyson Demos during training at the Snakepit. Picture: ROBERT PEET
NBL
Rugged Wollongong guard Tyson Demos expects to make his return from a knee injury in this Sunday's home meeting with Townsville.
Demos underwent minor surgery five weeks ago and sat out his team's opening wins against Sydney and Cairns.
But the 24-year-old has fully recovered and is keen to make his presence felt against the Crocodiles.
"I'm pretty confident of playing," Demos said moments before yesterday morning's training session at the Snakepit.
"It's been a pretty long five weeks, but it feels good. I've been doing leg weights pretty heavily and it's pulling up well.
"I have to gradually build it up as the week goes. I'll do an hour today and maybe an hour-and-a-half on Wednesday. I don't want to load it up too much and I don't want to rush back into it because I've had problems with my knees before, but I'm definitely looking forward to the game on Sunday."
Demos will bolster Wollongong's guard stocks and gives coach Gordie McLeod a designated defensive stopper in the backcourt. He is looking forward to reacquainting himself with Townsville import and former Hawks teammate Gary Ervin.
"He looked a little rusty against Perth yesterday, but that's to be expected because he'd only had a week practising with them.
"It's always good to come up against a former MVP of the league and it's going to be a good test," he said.
"We're playing real well. We can definitely get better . . . but our defence has been pretty good and hopefully we can keep our good start going with another win on Sunday."