Geelong ruckman Brad Ottens is recovering well from a hand injury he suffered in a boating accident and is confident he can play in this year's AFL pre-season competition.

Ottens, 29, required surgery after his hand was caught in the propeller blades of a speedboat while on a water skiing holiday in Echuca, in country Victoria, in December.

But he said he was on target to be available for the Cats' pre-season campaign, depending on coach Mark Thompson's plans, and was certain to be ready for the start of the premiership season.

"I can do the running and some weights and swimming, so I won't be falling behind at all," Ottens told Geelong's website.

"I will be ready to go in the (pre-season) NAB Cup, but I'm not sure what the coach's plans are with that, so I may not play anyway.

"But by the start of the season this will have no impact at all."

Ottens said he was lucky not to suffer a more serious injury, as he had been told by doctors he had come perilously close to having his hand severed.

"The boat tipped us out and the propeller caught me," he said.

"It could have been much worse, but luckily for me it isn't too bad.

"We were just enjoying the day water skiing when it happened and it really came out of nowhere. It was just a fluky thing."

The injury was not the first Ottens suffered during an off-season, as in 2002 he fell from a ladder and had his thigh impaled by a garden stake, and also required surgery.

The 210-game veteran missed most of the 2009 season because of a knee injury, but returned late to play in the finals, including the grand-final win over St Kilda.

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