Marco Tilio is starting to believe again.
In the space of two years, the Socceroos winger has starred in the A-League Men, left for Celtic and come back on loan with his tail between his legs.
In between that, there have been multiple soft tissue injury setbacks.
But now, on loan at Melbourne City this season, the 23-year-old is back in the swing of things.
Since returning from a bad hamstring injury in late January, he has notched four goals and five assists in 14 games and established himself as one of the competition's form players.
"On his day, when he's on, he's definitely the best winger in the competition," coach Aurelio Vidmar said of Tilio, after he dazzled in City's 3-0 semi-final first leg win over Western United.
The winger puts his form down to new-found confidence in his body.
"It's just consistency. I've found it hard to find consistency over the last couple of years with injury rides and whatnot," Tilio said ahead of Saturday's second leg at AAMI Park.
"That consistency and confidence, and I believe in myself when I'm in this sort of position.
"Just confident, consistent game time, and I know what I can bring to the team."
Tilio was one of the hottest prospects in Australia when he joined Celtic in 2023, but arrived in Scotland injured and saw little game time.
He is starting to recapture his top form now.
"If I'm being completely honest, I think I'm in a better position now than what I was back then," he said.
"I've matured a lot in the last couple of years.
"I had my first injury going over to Scotland, and pretty much ridden all those waves, and here I am now.
"I feel more mature. I feel more a complete player now, and understanding of the game a lot better."
Tilio speaks with his Celtic loan manager after games, while he was also called into Tony Popovic's most recent Socceroos camp.
"There's a certain way he wants you to be as a player, and you've just got to buy into that," he said.
"And that's what I've come away from that camp, knowing what I have to do put myself in the best position to be back there.
"So I'm just doing everything I can to be in the position to be selected again.
Though he didn't take the field, he feels the "new, different experience" gave him an understanding of how Popovic wants him to play.
"Obviously there was conversations had," he said.
"There were certain things they wanted me to implement into my game and as a player, you always take it on board from coaches, information, and I just wanted to implement that.
"Whether that's working harder in defence, or being better up front, being more clinical, all these kind of things sort of piece themselves together."
