Smeltz is already set to miss the first few weeks of the season after undergoing surgery on his hip.

But his family were rattled by the skin cancer shock, although they stress it was discovered at a very early stage.

However medics have run a series of tests to ensure it has not spread.

"The last year has been a bit tough injury and health wise," Shane told au.fourfourtwo.com's Kat Caravella in an interview with the Smeltz family about their football life.
 
"I've just had keyhole surgery in my hip and I was recently diagnosed with Stage 1 melanoma when they found a suspicious mole on my leg."
 
The earliest stage is is zero but Shane's wife Nikki admitted: "We got it at a good time, but still, it was frightening.
 
"We are still waiting on tests just to confirm they got it all and it hasn't spread but so far so good. Fingers crossed."
 
The family also revealed they will be living apart for much of next season, with Smeltz remaining on the west coast with Perth Glory while his wife and two daughters move to the Gold Coast.
 
Wife Nikki is launching a career in property and the family has agreed to spend the year on opposite sides of the country while she gets it established and Shane works on getting his coaching B-Licence.
 
"Football is at the moment the most important thing to me professionally and I'd love to be involved in other capacities down the track," he said. "But as a family, we also have plans for the future."
 
Nikki added: "I have decided to stay on the Gold Coast with the girls. It was a long and arduous decision - literally months of changing my mind every day.
 
"I have always loved real estate. We have bought and sold our own properties, loved investing and selling. We want to inject freshness in the industry - give it a more modern vibe.
 
"And we both thought now would be a great time to complete our licences and start a business on the Gold Coast.
 
"But it was an opportunity I couldn't pass up. Both the girls are in school now and I felt it was time to do something for myself and my family.
 
"I had been Mrs Smeltz for so long, I had been in and out of University five times but the constant re-locating just wasn't giving me enough stability to do something on my own.
 
"I finally feel like I am at a place where I can put my energies into a business - and real estate is a great game."
 

UPDATE: Shane Smeltz has received his test results and he was given the all-clear on Monday evening.

"I have to sound like a parent now and tell everyone to get their skin checked!" he tweeted after getting the good news. "I never did and was lucky I found a small mole myself...

"That came back a melanoma! If I had of left it things could be different down the track!

"Go get a check it takes 5min and could be worth it!"