Essendon premiership player Adam Ramanauskas says he is not fussed about whether he returns to the AFL this season, saying he is just relishing playing football.

The 26-year-old, who has twice beaten cancer and was granted special permission to be placed on the Bombers' rookie list this season, is in superb form for VFL club Bendigo, picking up 32 touches in his most recent match last Monday.

That prompted Essendon coach Kevin Sheedy to predict he will be back at the highest level this season.

But Ramanauskas said his experience since first being diagnosed with cancer in 2003 had taught him to enjoy each moment and he was not worried about plotting an AFL return.

"To be honest with you it's not a great concern of mine," he told Melbourne sports radio station SEN.

"I'm just happy at the minute playing footy at Bendigo, I'm really enjoying myself, it's good having a bit of fun with the young guys down there.

"It was a goal of mine just to play footy again this year and I'm doing that, so I'm quite happy."

Ramanauskas said his fitness and form had improved steadily during the year and he was now participating fully in all Essendon training sessions.

But he said Sheedy had never tried to push along his comeback.

"All he's ever asked me is how I'm feeling, how I'm going and he's never put any pressure on me about playing reserves or seniors," he said.

"He's said `You go out there and enjoy your football again' and that's all he's said to me and that's why I've always had such a great relationship with him."

Ramanauskas said just hitting the training track was a source of joy.

"I've always loved the game of footy ... but I probably didn't appreciate what I was doing before this happened to me," he said.

"I think now I go out there, I even go out onto the training track with a real smile on my face because I think I know how quickly it can be taken away from you.

"When it's taken away from you - and I was pretty young when all this happened to me - you're a tad lost as a person I guess.

"To lose something that you love at a young age was hard on me mentally early.

"But at the same time I think now it's turned me into the person that I am."

He said he felt slightly embarrassed to be "walking around healthy and talking about this" when he knew of other people who had contracted cancer and were not coping as well.

"I know I'm lucky and that's why now I go into games free of any nerves, free of any reservations about the way I'm going to play, I just go out there," he said.

"That's with everyday life as well, I don't worry about things so much any more."

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