The former AFL footballer was given the all-clear to resume his playing career yesterday after consulting a Melbourne specialist about his injured foot.

Nicholson hurt himself in a Seagulls’ pre-season fixture and was sidelined for the first five rounds of the home-and-away campaign.

The setback also forced the ex-Melbourne defender, who will play midfield and forward for his new club, to miss the Bottle Greens’ interleague fixture against Murray.

Nicholson, 24, will make his debut against South Warrnambool at Friendly Societies’ Park — the ground where he suffered the right foot fracture in April.

The former Lismore-Derrinallum junior said he had trained for two weeks after discarding a moon boot and was ready to make an impact.

“I am very excited to get out there,” he said. 

“I had an X-ray taken in Warrnambool yesterday and it was sent to my specialist in Melbourne and I had to go get it ticked off.

“He wanted to see how scars had healed and do a few functional movements.”

Nicholson said it was difficult watching his new club, which has a 2-3 win-loss record, play from the bench.

“It’s a tough situation watching them play when you know you should be out there with them, especially after doing all the pre-season and practice matches and then falling at the last hurdle,” he said.

Nicholson, who played 32 AFL games in four seasons at Melbourne, said playing onball was a challenge he wanted to tackle.

The 183-centimetre utility will also spend time forward, giving the Seagulls another mid-sized option in attack.

“I’ll relish the chance to get up around the footy and win my own footy,” Nicholson said.

Port Fairy coach Brett Evans said Nicholson had imparted his AFL knowledge on his Seagulls’ teammates since arriving at Gardens Oval as an assistant last November.

Evans said Nicholson would be an invaluable onfield contributor. 

“He is going to give the guys plenty of direction,” he said.

“I know his workload and how that workload rubs off on the rest of the guys.

“He was desperate to play the week before the bye and we had to hold him back and make sure everything was all right.

“He’ll have three weeks’ training under his belt so that will be good for us.”

Port Fairy will be without VFL-listed forward Jackson Hollmer against South Warrnambool.

Hollmer made his return from a shoulder injury via the Seagulls in round five — before the interleague bye — and was recalled to Geelong’s line-up the following week.

“I wouldn’t expect to get him back now. They obviously rate him pretty well to rush him back in,” Evans said.

Port Fairy small forward Tyrone Bean will also miss the clash against the Roosters after earning a call-up for a curtain-raiser to the Dreamtime at the ’G match between Richmond and Essendon. 

Evans expects South Warrnambool, searching for its first win, to provide a tough challenge.

“They pushed Koroit for the last three quarters of their last game and that is something we couldn’t do,” he said. 

“They have been in games for most of their games. It is a big one for us. 

“We want to go two wins in a row but we have a lot of respect for the opposition.”