Geelong star Gryan Miers made a successful return in the VFL on Saturday, but is "not out of the woods" as he manages a knee injury.
Miers had been sidelined since the Cats' win over West Coast in Gather Round last month. 7NEWS chief AFL reporter Mitch Cleary revealed Miers underwent scans that showed damage to his ACL following the Eagles clash.
It was only a partial tear to the ACL, rather than a full tear which would have ended his season. Miers picked up 21 disposals in three quarters before sitting out the final term as the Cats romped to a big win.
Speaking after the match, Miers said it has been a "stressful" time as he weighs up how to manage the injury.
"It's a relieving feeling. It's been a real tough and stressful month weighing up the decisions," Miers told ABC after the match. "And of all days, out in the slippery paddock turf, it was a real test for the knees. Relieving, good, it went well, and it feels great … a successful day."
Miers said it was a "huge step" forward, but conceded that surgery could still be on the cards in the future.
"So, I was working through it, and the physios said, 'We'll get a scan', and the scan showed some poor results for me," he said. "But the feeling was, 'I can play. Why should we go for 12 months (on the sidelines)?' It's still on the cards, if I'm being honest. We'll see how the next few weeks go, but today was a huge step in the right direction. I'm not out of the woods, but I'm feeling good."
