In three weeks, he will have a spinal discectomy to repair three bulging discs that are striking a nerve and causing debilitating back pain that radiates down his legs.

O’Keefe hasn’t been able to get out of a walk since his back finally waved the white flag after the Round 9 match against Grovedale after years of struggles.

“In terms of my footy career, it was every boy’s dream at the start but it didn’t end up turning out that way,” O’Keefe said.

“It’s been a frustrating ride but a great journey at the same time.”

As the Eagles motored into this year’s GFL grand final, O’Keefe was doing it tough in the background.

He had crossed from Geelong West-St Peter’s to Newtown to play in long-awaited team success alongside Warrnambool connections Tim Brown, Jarrod McCorkell, Tim Horan, Paul Hinkley, Ash McCorkell and Tauryan ­Zimmer.

But again, the stars just never aligned.

When the Swans’ reserves side was winning premierships during his time at Sydney as a teenager, O’Keefe was injured.

At Geelong West-St Peter’s, when he played every match from 2012-14 after an 18-month break to pursue a golf traineeship at Thirteenth Beach Golf Club, the Roosters didn’t get within cooey of finals action.

“It was really hard and after we won the prelim the other week, I broke down in the rooms, which was pretty embarrassing. I just didn’t know what to do,” O’Keefe said.

“I was so happy for them. It was exactly what we wanted to happen. It was the result we were after but it was a bittersweet feeling too.

“I’ve never played in a senior final, let alone a grand final, but have been around and involved in teams that have, like in my first two years at ­Sydney.”

O’Keefe’s ongoing back problems have meant he hasn’t been able to swing a golf club in 12 months.

When he sneezed at his desk at work the other day, he said he nearly “jumped out of the seat” because of the pain. He also needs his fiancé’s assistance most mornings to put shoes and socks on.

“I have the surgery the day after my 27th birthday. My present is a new back.”