Blake Green is 34 and 10 weeks into a six month rehab program following a knee reconstruction in September.
So, it's fair to assume, after he this week signed a one-year deal with the Knights for 2021, the veteran playmaker is thinking swansong seasons, retirement and a transition into coaching at the end of it, right? Wrong.
Not even the first major injury of his career and one of the toughest to return from has him contemplating the finish line.
"I've never had any of those thoughts come into my head to be honest," he says.
"I'm a really competitive guy. I'm a hard worker who is always striving to get the best out of myself and I was never going to finish on those terms. They weren't my terms and hopefully, I can write my own ending."
Ask then about the chance of him chasing a new deal at the end of next year and extending his top grade career into a 16th season and he doesn't miss a beat.
"Why not? You can get whatever you want out of life if you put your mind to it and work hard enough. I'm not after any fairytales," he said.
"For me right now, it's all about working hard, getting myself into a position to be available for the team and get the team going well.
"I've loved being up here. The footy club, the town and all the people that I've met - I can't wait to get myself into a position to represent this place."
It's remarkable at times how things work out.
Before joining the Knights in early August after getting a release from the Warriors, Green had inked a one-year deal for 2021 with the Bulldogs to re-unite with his old Manly coach Trent Barrett. He wasn't to know then how effortlessly he would fit in alongside Mitchell Pearce in the halves at Newcastle or how valued he would be around the playing group.
Then fate stepped in. Three games in, his knee buckled and gave way during a clash against the Cowboys and his season was done. For all intents and purposes, so too his Knights cameo.
He had surgery to repair a ruptured anterior cruciate ligament but then came whispers out of the Bulldogs camp that having a 34-year-old playmaker, coming off a major operation and unavailable to start the season, was not an ideal scenario to usher in Barrett's brave new world at Belmore.
Hearing the noise, the Knights expressed an interest and the wheels turned pretty quickly from that point on.
"The deal at the Bulldogs was in place before I got to the Knights but then obviously, I picked up the injury which is the first serious one I've had in my career and I've been around long enough to know things can change in footy," Green said.
"I don't want to get into how things panned out the way they have but we both probably got what we wanted out of the situation I suppose.
"I've got a great relationship with Trent and with Andrew Hill [Bulldogs CEO] and that's pretty evident by the way it was handled because it was an easy transaction. I'm just grateful the opportunity came up for me to stay here at the Knights and I couldn't be happier about it.
"I was only here a short time but I felt like things went really well for us - things clicked quite quickly and I felt really comfortable from the moment I stepped in the front door here.
"Adam [coach O'Brien] is a standout for me. I've known him a long time and I just think he's got this place heading in the right direction and there are some real encouraging signs there."
Ever since the operation, it has been nose to the grindstone for Green.
"Virtually from the moment I had surgery on my knee, I've been in rehab just about every day and things are going really good," he said. "Our physios here, Phil Bosson and Lou Cutler, have done a tremendous job with me, as have the whole medical staff.
"They have got me in really good shape at this stage and I'm putting all my energy and focus into that. I'm just making sure I get myself into the best possible shape for the team when they need me."
As for when he will be ready to play, Green will complete his six month rehab in early March.
"I don't really know about the time frame but all I know is around the six month mark, you go for a test to see where it's at," he said. "All I'm focused on at the moment is to get to that six month mark and go to that test as strong as possible."
If all goes to plan, he may only miss a few games.
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