A fit and firing Izak Rankine has a Round 2 debut firmly in his sights after returning to training this week at the Austworld Centre.

The former number three draft pick has overcome hamstring and hip injuries to be in the selection frame for Round 2 which begins on June 11. 

“The body’s good - I’m keen to get back into playing,” Rankine told SUNS Media on the Macca’s Minute.

“I had a good little break to rest the body a bit but the hamstring’s good and the shoulder’s good so everything’s going well and I’ve been flying so far these two sessions.

“Hopefully I can set myself up to get selected and hopefully put on a show.” 

Back with his teammates in one of the forwards groups, Rankine was sporting a new look with freshly dyed blonde hair. 

The 20-year-old said it was one of his fellow teammates who convinced him to make the radical change. 

“I just got bored and Jy Farrar did it for me,” Rankine laughed.

“I got bored at home and got peer pressured into it. 

“A few of the other AFL players have done it too, Mally Rosas (Malcolm Rosas Jnr) bleached his tips but his went orange.”

Rankine returned home to South Australia during the shutdown period before returning to the Gold Coast where he lives with Sam Collins and Corey Ellis.

He managed to keep himself entertained during the break but is relieved to be back at the club with his teammates. 

“I headed back home for two weeks then got pretty bored of Adelaide - it was too cold and a bit rainy and wet,” Rankine joked. 

“I came back up here and have been here ever since. 

“I just got up to playing Fortnite, playing guitar and trying to do as much as you can at home and at the park so yeah it’s been fun. 

“But it’s good to be back training with the boys.”