The 31-year-old former Bloods senior player, who returned to the club after seven years away, is battling Acute myeloid leukaemia but that won’t stop him playing in the Hampden league reserves grand final against South Warrnambool.

The rare cancer makes abnormal amounts of white and red blood cells or platelets, causing constant fatigue and sometimes nausea.

The Geelong-based player, who has another 18 months of chemotherapy left, has found solace through playing football with his home club.

“There are a lot of benefits of getting back into footy for me socially, physically and mentally,” the City of Melbourne sport recreation coordinator said.

“I’m just really thankful for the opportunity the club has given to me to help me through the tough years.

“It’s a situation where I have to tell the club what I want and need and they have to work around that and that’s not what it should be.

“But I’m thankful to the footy club and (reserves coaches) Todd (Robertson) and Jake (Lee) and all the boys, who are understanding and work around me for when I can and can’t play.”

Often the cycles of cancer treatment hampers his availability for games. 

“The drugs I’m on are a cycle and at the start of a cycle I’m quite unwell for a couple of weeks when I’m on a particular drug," the defender said.

“As far as footy has gone I have missed periodically a game here and there. Say every four or five weeks. Sometimes it gets bad and I miss a couple of games, but that is rare.

“Then once I get into regular drugs that I take for the rest of the cycle I’m usually good to play.”

Reicha said he didn’t want to entertain any other options on his club of choice when he was given the all clear to return. 

“I had to sort of work out at the start of the year when I was given the all clear by the doctors to play contact sports where I was going to go,” he said.

“I didn't want to go to a new club or travel to Gippsland and play at my old club, Kilcunda Bass, knowing I could go back to my home club where I have a lot of family. I could be in my comfort zone and they would support me to play when I could.”

Reicha, who managed to play one game in Michael Sargeant’s senior side this year, said he was eager to lift his game next season.

“My intention was to give this year a bit of a trial and see how the body holds up and what I need to get my fitness levels to,” he said.

“I think I can build on this year over the pre-season and my intention is to come back next year and have a go at senior footy.”

Roosters captain Jack Lee will miss the decider with a thumb injury. 

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