Luckless Cat Daniel Menzel has made a successful comeback to football through the VFL on Saturday. 

Menzel got through unscathed, playing just over a half of football in his triumphant return.

“Yeah it’s a weird feeling. It’s been two and a half years,” Menzel said post-match.

“(I) pulled up really well and got through, but to just be back out there with your teammates is one of the most special things about it.”

Menzel’s teammates were jubilant after the game, not only with the team’s performance but also knowing what it meant for the 23-year-old to get through.

It is the support from his teammates, family and friends that has been a key factor in Menzel’s fighting spirit to get back to doing what he loves.

“To have their support, as well as everyone. The amount of messages and just good support that I’ve had the whole way, its what makes you just keep going,” he said. 

With over two years between games, Menzel had planned and played out his comeback game in his head numerous times.

“I’ve thought of today for two and a half years and thought about it every single day.

“The first bounce, I reckon I’d pictured it for the last week or so and pictured what I was going to do and how I was going to play my opponent,” he said.

Menzel played predominantly in the midfield and finished with 17 disposals, 16 by foot, two marks and two tackles. He also had a game-high 10 clearances, despite leaving the field midway through the third term.

Despite the amount of preparation he undertook, Menzel was full of nerves leading into the match.

“I was pretty nervous Wednesday, got through that all good and (nerves) started to come again yesterday. But not just nerves, every emotion, it just didn’t feel like a real week,” Menzel said.

“It was nerves of just excitement and getting back into it, not nerves of actually will my body hold up, I was always really confident.”

Menzel sees confidence in his body as a key factor in his ability to get back to playing football.

“I haven’t had any doubts, I feel like we’ve done so much work in the gym, we’ve done so much work at the club, I’ve got the best team around me that I always knew that if we got a good crack that my body would hold up,” he said.

“I had been in the gym and done rehab every Saturday for two and a half years but to actually come out and play is just a weird feeling.”

Whilst many Cats fans will be hoping to see Menzel back in the AFL side soon, the 23-year-old is just happy to be back playing football and will take it week by week.

“I haven’t thought too much ahead to how many games or when I’ll get back to playing (AFL), it’s all about getting through and enjoying it.

“We got 10 kilometers out of today, which is a massive achievement for us and we’ll go forward again next week and then ramp it up as well,” Menzel said.

Menzel missed out on the 2011 premiership, after going down in the Qualifying Final, which has proved to be a huge motivator for the Cat’s return.

Despite the Cats’ decline from the premiership era, he believes the Cats will taste some success this season and he hopes to play a part.

“I (played AFL) in 2011 and we won the premiership that year and missing out on that was difficult at the time but it’s driven me as well I think. 

“I can get back into that AFL team and get back out there doing what I love, its driven me every single day for the last four years,” Menzel said.

“I believe that if we get a lot of other guys back, which we are starting to do now, we are every chance to play finals and I’m really confident that we will.”

Watch the video above for his post-match press conference and vision from the clash.