""Going through my injury, there are times when you think it's tough work, it's hard and you have a bit of a sore foot but you take a step back and you look at the things Adam was going through a few years ago,"" he said.
""He would come to the club and you wouldn't know there was anything wrong with him and he didn't want to put that on anyone and I took something out of that.
""When I was at the club (during rehab) I wanted to be an inspiration by the way I was training and carrying myself as Adam did in much bigger circumstances a few years ago.
""My injury is something small compared to what he has gone through and what a lot of people go through. To be able to come back in this round is something special because of what a close mate has gone through.""
Welsh, 26, dislocated an ankle and broke a bone in his leg during an intra-club match in pre-season.
He says after plenty of swimming and running sessions he is fit, nervous and excited to be playing in what he describes as a 'massive' game for the club.
""I needed a couple of game in the VFL to get the confidence up. In the Queen's Birthday weekend (in the VFL) it was wet and rainy and the things you miss in training are the contested footy and the hard hits so I got plenty of them last week and after the game they (the fitness staff) thought it was pretty good and I felt good in myself to be able to step out there.
""Last year I felt I was pushing right up there in the midfield and starting to feel good and I spoke to Matthew Knights and he told me it would take a few weeks to get back into the speed of the game.
""A lot of young guys have been standing up and I am looking forward to getting back and helping those guys, I am looking forward to getting out there and enjoying some wins.""
The veteran of 134 games said his return is a credit to the fitness department who gave him every opportunity to push himself to get back.
""When I did the injury the pain was obviously the first thing and then I asked the surgeon how long I would be out for and he thought it would be about 12 months with the severity and ligament damage,"" he said.
""When he got in and operated they used new technology and he said 'we think you can do it a lot quicker and the resources you've got at the footy club are going to help that'.
""My job was the get back on the footy field so I was in at the club everyday getting physio and doing rehab work to give myself a chance to get back.""
Ramanauskas joked that he couldn't repeat exactly what Welsh said to him in the ambulance immediately after the injury which drew a surprise response.
""I always tell you I love you,"" Welsh joked.
""That wasn't the painkillers.""
Ramanauskas said that, although he feels embarrassed being the face of the Clash for Cancer, he says he hopes it helps people who are fighting the disease.
""We want 40-50,000 people there on Friday night because sometimes things are bigger than football,"" he said.
""Clash for Cancer is something that the footy club has pushed along with the Cancer Council of Victoria and it's in its fourth year now.
""Not only that, but there is also Call to Arms campaign (in July) which is national now so all the footy clubs are wearing yellow arms bands but now it's soccer clubs, softball clubs and basketball clubs and schools and it's getting bigger and bigger as the years go on.
""But the stats don't lie and one in two males will get some form of cancer before they are 80 which is pretty scary and hopefully Whoosha (Andrew Welsh) is the lucky one because I have already had it and hopefully, he misses out.
""If I can do my little bit to help people and if the club can do a bit to help people then we are going down the right path.""
Friday night’s match will be the fourth annual Clash for Cancer. Both teams will wear a special guernsey with a yellow band (Essendon's will be auctioned off on this website along with some players' yellow boots).
Supporters at the game can help raise funds to fight cancer by purchasing a yellow Call to Arms slap band or by registering their clubs to be part of Call to Arms in July at www.calltoarms.com.au
