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Former No.1 draft pick Tom Scully is confident a lingering ankle injury won't derail his AFL career at new club Hawthorn.

Tom Scully appreciates the risks involved with recruiting him, but remains confident he will overcome a career-threatening ankle injury to repay the faith shown in him by Hawthorn.

The 2009 No.1 draft pick broke his right ankle against Collingwood in round two last season and didn't play again for GWS, who subsequently traded him to the Hawks.

The timeline for his return to the field remains unclear given the significant cartilage damage he also sustained in an innocuous Callum Brown tackle at the MCG.

The Hawks put the 27-year-old through a searching medical before going ahead with a trade.

"If anything that actually reassured me that they can get the ankle right and that was a big thing for me ... having someone say 'We're prepared to take your ankle on'," Scully told reporters on Monday.

"Obviously there's an element of risk for everyone involved here but it's not all doom and gloom ... I'm pretty confident.

"The ankle is feeling OK at the moment ... I'll start some light loading this week and everything is on track. It's going to be a long process but one that I'm confident I can get right.

"Obviously, the Hawks are really confident as well that, managed well, I can be back playing footy next year which is my ultimate aim."

Scully admitted the injury caused him great frustration and some concern for his future as the initial time frame for recovery of 12 to 16 weeks came and went with no end in sight.

After starting his career with Melbourne, Scully took a megabucks deal to join the fledgling Giants ahead of their inaugural season in 2012.

He was happy there, having signed a contract extension until the end of 2021, but ultimately joined Dylan Shiel, Rory Lobb and Will Setterfield in departing the club under the pressure of a salary cap squeeze.

"(The break) gave me a bit of time to reflect on where I'm at with my football and life in general, but (the trade) came from nowhere really," he said.

"I had a conversation with the Giants who were very good and open."

The Hawks parted with just a future fourth-round selection for the elite runner mainly due to doubts over his ankle and the Giants' desire to offload his salary.

"At the end of the day the Giants were obviously happy with what pick they got then you part ways and move on," Scully said.