The 20-year-old midfielder played 19 games in his debut season in 2013 but believes he became a better player this year.
“It was (frustrating) only playing the 11 games but there was a lot of improvement personally and by the team so I’d probably consider it more successful than my first year,” he says.
Whitfield was hampered by foot and shoulder injuries in 2014, playing the first two games of the season before missing five weeks with a foot problem.
He played the next nine in a row, with his last game coming in Round 17 before he underwent surgery on both his foot and shoulder.
Arriving back at the club last week, Whitfield is on a modified program but is eager to get to work and hopeful of an injury-free 2015.
“It’s been a long process but it’s all going really well. I’m back running and doing small bits of weights so a lot of rehab to do and I’ll be hopefully back full training by the end of the month, so I’ll get a fair chunk of pre-season in which is good,” he said.
“It was a good off-season but I’m really raring to get going and have a big pre-season leading info a fit year hopefully with the boys.
“I spent a bit of time in Melbourne with the boys and then was off to Bali for 10 or so days so that was quite relaxing. I just tried to get the body back in shape, doing a lot of rehab as well.”
With 30 games now under his belt, the classy midfielder showed flashes of his potential this year, including two 32-disposal performances against both Hawthorn and the Brisbane Lions and three goals in his final game for the year against Fremantle.
But he has his sights set on bigger things in 2015.
“As a team it’s obviously to win more games than last year but personally just to get back on the field and on the track and just get my body right and play some consistent footy,” Whitfield said.
The addition of dual Best and Fairest winner and All Australian Ryan Griffen to a midfield that already boasts the likes of Callan Ward, Adam Treloar and Dylan Shiel has Whitfield excited for his role next season.
“He’s (Griffen) obviously a star of the game and I think he was All-Australian last year so for us to get him was a really good job by the staff here and he’ll make an immediate impact I would assume. He’ll be straight in the guts hopefully feeding the ball out to me on the wing so he’ll be good for us,” he said.
With PM Capital GIANTS Academy players Jack Steele and Jeremy Finlayson arriving at the club last week and several more draftees to join them later this month, Whitfield knows he will have to step up as he comes into his third season in the AFL.
“Us third-years are the older blokes now so we’ll look after the young fellas.”
