Versatile defender Marty Gleeson made his long-awaited return to football on Saturday, emerging unscathed in Essendon VFL’s practice match against Coburg.

Gleeson came on in the second half of the 100-point win, but was limited to just over 60 minutes in his first hit-out since suffering a serious ankle injury against Geelong in last year’s JLT Community Series.

“It was good to get out there and just run around with the boys,” Gleeson said.

“It’s been a long time coming and was probably an ideal way to start - just playing the one half to get a feel for it and go from there.”

While it may have been one of his quieter performances in the red and black, Gleeson admitted he wasn’t looking to stand out.

“I didn’t really have any expectations. I just wanted to get out there and get a few kicks. I thought I wasn’t too bad  - probably a bit scratchy but I think that was to be expected.”

VFL senior coach Dan Jordan thought the VFL practice match was the perfect way for Gleeson to make his return.

“It was just great to see Marty (Gleeson) back out there again. He picked up a couple of marks late and started to find his timing a bit,” Jordan said.

“When the heat has gone out of the game (like that), it’s a really good introduction back in for him.

“Hopefully he can build on that and get closer to some full game time over the coming weeks.”

Gleeson also recognised the support from the club during his time on the sidelines, thanking everyone who had reached out recently.

“The whole time since day dot when I got the injury, the boys got around me and I couldn’t be more thankful,” he said.

“All the people who sent me messages as well – it all means a lot to me.”

While Gleeson hasn’t put a timeframe on his senior return, he’ll look to build up his match minutes in the coming weeks..

“I will see how I go week-to-week. (I’ll aim) to get a bit of form up and then see how I go from there.”

Brooke Varney is in the final year of her Bachelor of Communications (Journalism) degree at RMIT University. As part of their strategic partnership, Essendon Football Club and RMIT University are committed to providing opportunities for students, staff, players and the wider community.