CO-CAPTAIN Jack Grimes says it tough to deal with another injury setback this season, after he entered 2013 having achieved his best AFL season the previous year.

Grimes, who played just 32 matches in his first four seasons after injuries interrupted the start of his career, had a fine 2012, missing just one game and finishing runner up to Nathan Jones in the club best and fairest.

But after starting 2013 strongly, Grimes suffered a collarbone injury and was sidelined for eight weeks from rounds seven to 14. He said to endure another trying season with injury was hard to take.

“I felt like I was past the injuries, especially with that one. I knew when I did it that I’d done something pretty bad. I thought it might’ve been a bit longer than it ended up being,” he said.

“I was actually rapt with the way that the injury went – I actually felt I got back pretty quick, and the collarbone feels great now. It gave me a lot of confidence to see that I could [come back], because often in the past I haven’t come back from injuries like that, and I’ve ended up missing a whole season.

“Personally, I took a lot of confidence out of that and with my body. But I didn’t feel that I played with the consistency that I would’ve liked. I know there was a chunk there where I was out with injury, but I didn’t feel like I reached the level of consistency that I probably showed last year.”

Grimes sustained the collarbone injury against Carlton in round six and indicated it was different to find his rhythm upon his return from the long term injury list.

“I battled a bit coming back from injury - there were times there when I was struggling a little bit with my own form and I still didn’t feel like I got back to my best form late in the year. I improved a little bit, but it was a pretty frustrating second half of the year.

“I know I’m not the only one and there were a fair few guys who felt the same way, but I definitely learned a lot from it and I battled through. I kept trying to work my way out of it.

“It was a bit of a tough period coming out of that injury, especially because of what the club was going through with the change of coach. I’ve learned a lot out of the experience though.”

Meanwhile, Grimes said his leadership group chat with Paul Roos, just before the 2005 Sydney Swans premiership coach decided to take on the Melbourne coaching position, was an exciting one.

“It was a really good chat. It was a nice, open and honest chat,” he said.