Pears, who has been sidelined since June 18 last year when he ruptured his pancreas against Hawthorn and later fractured his foot at training, played the first half and slotted in seamlessly, before being rested after half-time.
Bendigo coach Shannon Grant said Pears' performance was impressive under the circumstances, and that the 21-year-old had pulled up well after the game.
""Tayte was really good. He probably played about 45-50 minutes of game time and the longer he played the better he got. He certainly didn’t look like he hadn't played footy for almost a year, that's for sure,"" Grant said.
""Knowing how he approaches his footy and the way he trains, I wasn't that surprised. I think it just reinforced what a quality player he is and how important he is to the Essendon football team.""
""For him to be able to get through unscathed, get his hands on the footy, and just get out there and play footy again was definitely great for everyone.""
It wasn't the only positive in the win, with several Essendon-listed players coming back to VFL level with the round 10 bye in the AFL.
Kyle Reimers and Alwyn Davey were two to find form for Bendigo after being the substitutes in the Dreamtime at the 'G clash against Richmond, and Grant was particularly happy with Reimers' 27-possession contribution.
""Those two were obviously subbed the week before, so it was a good opportunity for those guys to get some good game time under their belt. They achieved what they needed to, plus their attitude was great, so it was a really good performance by both of them,"" Grant said.
""Kyle played in the midfield and a little bit up forward, and he was really good. He came back and worked really hard and got some touch as well, so he was good.""
Speedy midfielder Travis Colyer continued to press for a senior recall with a strong performance against the Cats, and first-year wingman Michael Ross also played his best game of the season.
""Michael certainly helped set us up across half back and was another one who happened to find the footy and, more importantly, used it really well. For him, it was one of his best games so far this year,"" Grant said.
