After two months on the sidelines, Luke McDonald made a successful return to action from a hamstring injury on Sunday in the VFL.

Slotting straight in to his usual role off half-back, the 21-year-old looked to have barely missed a beat.

“It was good to be back,” McDonald told NMFC.com.au post-match.

“I felt really good, the hammy felt really good.

“I took a lot of confidence out of the game and I’m excited for the next couple of weeks.”

Although the season’s end drew nearer with each week, McDonald always believed he’d get back on the field with enough time to make an impact before the end of 2016.

“I always had this date in the back of my head that I wanted to get back by.

“It’s been pretty hard watching from the sidelines and especially because we haven’t been doing that well. It’s awesome to be back.”

McDonald’s performance also came in for praise from the coaching staff.

“He did some nice things and he kicked quite well,” development coach David Loader said.

“It was great to see he got through. That’s the biggest thing out of today (for McDonald), that he got through and looks to be relatively unscathed.

“That was a real positive for Luke to get the run under the belt.”

Entrusted with kick-in duties for the afternoon, several times McDonald was able to start a forward movement by hitting his target.

“It was really good to get the touch back,” McDonald said.

“I didn’t feel like I was too fumbly (under pressure). I really wanted to take the game on with my kicking and I felt like overall I used the ball pretty well.”

Even after his first match for two months, the left-footer felt in a good way down in the rooms.

“I played about 60 per cent, I could have easily played longer.

“I’ve pretty much done a pre-season over the last six weeks and a lot of kilometres.

“You want to get as much running as you can through (the hamstrings), so it feels really good, it’s strong and I’m ready to go next week.”

An added benefit for McDonald was the opportunity to play with some of the younger Roos; players he hasn’t been able to share the field with much.

“I was really excited to play with a few of the younger boys. They bring a lot of energy those boys and they’re always up and about," he added.

“(Ed) Vickers-Willis has a bright future for us in the backline. He was really good today with the role on Stringer.

“Declan Mountford is another who’s going to be a good player. He’s so fast, spreads real well, and has a real hard crack.”