It was the moment Essendon supporters and football fans had been hoping and waiting for - the return of Adam Ramanauskas to AFL football. And no one was disappointed with the events that transpired at The Dome tonight. Ramanauskas started on the ground in the forward pocket and his first touch of the football resulted in a goal. ""It was actually ironic that Adam kicked the first goal of the game,"" assistant coach Mark Harvey said after the match.

Ramanauskas was given immediate attention by Brisbane when key defender Chris Johnson picked him up. Harvey said that match-up was of instant benefit to the team. ""Despite it being Adam’s first game, he took one of Brisbane’s best defenders. It was enormous benefit just having a quality player such as Adam back in the side,"" Harvey said.

As expected, Ramanauskas played just under one half of football. He predominantly played forward but had brief stints in the centre. ""You would not know he had been missing with some of the things he did. He looked sharp and wasn’t afraid to put his body on the line. He did tire throughout the game, which was expected in his first match back.

""Adam needed a game behind him and the hit-out will be of great benefit to him. We introduced him into the forward line and with more match fitness behind him he will slowly push up and spend more time in the midfield,"" he said.