Border Mail | After spending most of last year on the sidelines, Wodonga's Isaac Wallace has had produced a flying first half of this year's campaign.
Having recovered from a broken leg, the Bulldogs youngster has made a complete recovery to be nominated for the O and M Rising Star award.
The young gun was key to Wodonga's success in the early part of the season, displaying some scintillating form, including a near-best on ground two-goal effort in the win over Yarrawonga in round 3.
The 16-year-old said he was happy with his early form after being relegated to the grandstands last season.
"The doctors told me it would be about 12 months until I'd be back to the level of fitness I was at before the injury," Wallace said.
"That mark passed in March, I'm feeling good, but I still think I can really improve my running and bring my fitness up another notch again."
Persistence has paid off for the nuggety midfielder, with his strong form for the Bulldogs earning him selection for the Murray Bushrangers in the past fortnight.
"I'm still adjusting to the pace of the TAC Cup, it's a lot faster," Wallace said.
"But given that we're all younger guys, I think the physical aspect is still there, blokes will still try to knock you around a little bit.
"I'm just trying to concentrate on doing the right thing by the team, making sure my pressure is up and I'm doing my best to win some contested footy.
"The more I play this year, the more I'm feeling closer to my best."
He has displayed considerable maturity in his recovery, as evidenced by his recent form.
"I knew all I could do was work hard in the pre-season and see what would happen," Wallace said.
"Luckily I've been able to put my best foot forward so far this season."
Despite his Bulldogs falling off the pace in the Ovens and Murray in the past few rounds, Wallace still thinks they can turn their mid-season lull around and feature in the finals.
"I think we're doing all the right things off the field, it's just a matter of putting them into place on the field," he said.
"We have a great group of players out there."
