The 30-year-old, who has not played senior football since he injured his knee in round four last season, played his first match on the big stage for the Swans in over ten months in last night’s 35-point loss to the West Coast Eagles.
Roberts-Thomson, who continues to be a cult hero among Swans fans, received a huge cheer when he took his first mark of the match in front of the grandstand in the first quarter and went on to excite fans with his efforts in defence during the match.
“I was a little bit nervous before the game to tell you the truth,” Roberts-Thomson told SwansTV after the match.
“It’s been a while since I’ve pulled on the boots on and run out with the boys.
“I think initially I was a bit rusty and in the slippery conditions I fumbled a couple of footys, but overall it was really good to be out there.”
Roberts-Thomson said he was relieved to finally be back out on the park, adding that his troublesome knee also held up well in his first hit-out for the year.
“I was just happy to get through unscathed and the body felt really good,” he said.
“The knee and my fitness felt strong and hopefully I definitely have something to build on.”
Known for his ability to play at either end of the field, Roberts-Thomson was tasked with a role in the Swans’ backline in last night’s match.
The versatile Swan said he felt comfortable in his role in defence playing alongside the likes of Heath Grundy and Nick Malceski as well as some new additions to the backline.
“Honestly, it was good to play down back and I’ve played a lot of footy with the guys down there like Regy (Grundy), Mal (Malceski) and Nick Smith.
“It was also really good to play alongside Jeremy Laidler and Dane Rampe, because they are two guys I haven’t played footy with.
“I enjoy playing down back and it’s one of the positions that I’m quite comfortable with, but in saying that, everyone likes to kick a goal, so I like playing up forward too.”
Last night’s match also saw the return of Lewis Jetta and Mike Pyke, who both had injury-interrupted pre-seasons, as well as new recruit Lance Franklin, who played his first match in the red and white following a delayed pre-season.
Roberts-Thomson said it was all about getting minutes into those players in the lead up to the AFL home and away season.
“We’ve got a fairly healthy list at the moment and a lot of guys are playing some serious minutes in the games,” he said.
“I think Pykey, Jetts and Buddy were the few inclusions this week and for those guys to get roughly 80-to-90 minutes, it’s certainly something to build on for next week.
“Going into the season it’s important to be as fit and healthy as possible and I think these games are definitely the way to build on that.”
Reflecting on last night’s loss, Roberts-Thomson said it was clear the team had plenty to work in the coming weeks.
“The message to take out of it was that we’ve got a lot to work on, first of all our skills,” he said.
“Even though the conditions weren’t ideal, skill execution is a big part of the game these days.
“I don’t think we ran out the game as well as we would have liked, so fitness could be an issue there too.
“Overall, if you put it down to attitude and endeavour, then hopefully against the Lions next week we can improve that too.”
