Adelaide forward Trent Hentschel is inspired by team-mate Ben Hudson's sound recovery from a knee reconstruction this year and believes he will be ready to resume playing football in the 2008 pre-season matches."Yeah, he had exactly the same, apart from the dislocation, and his went really well … that has given me a lot of confidence," Hentschel said on crutches at AAMI Stadium on Friday."Hopefully I will get back to the way I was. It will take time. I'm comfortable with the fact it is a 15-month injury so I will give it a crack and get back into it."Hentschel wrecked his right knee in the round-21 match against Port Adelaide and already has had two operations and will have a full reconstruction in December - before the tall, talented, 61-game forward's 24th birthday on Christmas Day.Adelaide coach Neil Craig on Friday described Hentschel's injury as 'horrific - probably the worst knee injury I've been exposed to'."He's got a long road ahead but it won't be from lack of support or want to get back," Craig said. "He's had a lot of support from the club, internally and from the playing group and management. He needs that and deserves that. I know he's had a lot of support from our supporters - people wishing him well and seeing him - and I know he appreciates that."We just hope he can make a good recovery to play AFL football again, back to the level he was starting to show because he was becoming a really exciting player and a really important player for our football club."Hentschel, originally from Darwin, said he was feeling 'not too bad', and he added: "The first couple of weeks in hospital went pretty slow, but I had a lot of support around me. The amount of cards, flowers and chocolates I got … there's no doubt we have got the best supporter base in the comp."I'm glad I am at this footy club. There is a lot of support around here. I have some pretty solid people at home supporting me, too, so I will do all right."Asked whether he had seen a replay of the fall in which he damaged his knee, Hentschel said: "I watched it once while I was in hospital, but I can't look at it again. I felt a bit sick. I can remember everything that people sort of say that you can't … you tend to go into a bit of shock, but I don't think I did … I can remember everything. There was pain there but it went away when I got morphine."And, admitting he had felt 'pretty low', he said: "Going into the surgery and being told there was a chance if the nerve and artery had been damaged I might not play again was pretty daunting, but the surgeon was happy with the way it went."The surgeon said there is no doubt I will be back. It will be 15 months, but he said the operation went well."Yes, I was feeling sorry for myself but I felt I needed to move on when I got home. I had a lot of support behind me and now I have to get on with it."I have a pretty good PlayStation at home and mum and dad have a big telly. Other than that, I can't move much. Going over to the shops is a bit of an effort."How hard was it to be watching instead of playing in the finals?"Yeah, pretty hard," Hentschel said. "I guess if we were losing it would be hard, but because we're winning it makes it a bit easier."