The medium defender said it had been frustrating because he had never been prone to injury until 2016. 

“Midway through last year I had a groin overload injury and carried that into pre-season this year. I missed pre-season and have been trying to catch up since,” he said. 

“I’ve missed all of this year with a hamstring strain.” 

Cheney said it is hard catching up to his teammates’ fitness because they had endured a long pre-season. 

“I’m trying to get fitness work in but it’s what you have to do,” he said. 

Cheney has played four South Australian National Football League with the Crows-affiliated club. 

The team is seventh on the league’s table. 

“I did my hamstring a couple weeks ago. Our injury list isn’t too bad at the moment,” Cheney said. 

His contract will run out at the end of the 2017 season and Cheney said he would ideally like to stay at Adelaide. 

Cheney has been keeping up-to-date with the progress of his hometown club, the Warrack Eagles, in the Wimmera Football League. 

“My older brother Jacob still plays there so I like to keep up-to-date,” he said. 

“It’s good to see after the appointment of Ryan McKenzie that he is taking them in the right direction, he is a good mate of mine.”