For midfielder Harry Schoenberg, the first 20 seconds of Adelaide’s SANFL clash against Glenelg on Saturday served as the culmination of eight months of hard work.

Lining up at the centre bounce for the first time since rupturing his Achilles in August last year, a crafty tap from ruckman Kieran Strachan landed in the hands of the 23-year-old.

That moment was all Schoenberg needed to get back into the swing of competitive footy, as he shone through three quarters of action, recording 19 disposals and three clearances.

Speaking to AFC Media in the aftermath of his return, Schoenberg said he felt relieved to be back doing what he loved.

“It was nice that Strachany (Kieran Strachan) hit me with the first tap of the game, so it was good to get into the game early and everything sort of flowed from there,” Schoenberg said.

“It was nice to be able to find a bit of footy in the first quarter, that helped me relax, and from there I was able to do what I do.

“There was a lot of relief (being back on the field), at times it was a bit stressful sitting back and watching the boys do pre-season and play games, so to be back out there with them was a fantastic feeling.

“Overall I thought I went pretty well in the three quarters that I played, and I’m looking forward to going again next week.”

Returning to the field for the first time in more than eight months, Schoenberg would have been forgiven for exhibiting some pre-game nerves. 

But looking back on his preparation, he said he was as calm as he’d ever felt in the lead-up to a game of footy. 

“It’s been a long time coming, I put in a lot of work over the off-season after having surgery and moving from being in the moon boot, to getting back to running and then finally playing footy,” Schoenberg said.

“The night before I was really relaxed, which was surprising as I’m usually nervous before any game, let alone when I haven’t played for a while.

“When I woke up the morning of the game, those nerves did start to kick in a bit, but as I got to the ground and got into the feel of the game it all went away.

“That feeling of being able to play footy and be free was so enjoyable, I loved every minute being back on the field.”

With the all-important first game under his belt, Schoenberg will tick off another milestone during this weekend’s SANFL clash against North Adelaide when he plays the full four quarters.

From there, he said he would be looking to press his case for AFL selection as soon as possible. 

“This week I’m looking at playing four quarters of footy in the SANFL, which will be a good step forward in my fitness coming back from the injury,” Schoenberg said. 

“From there it will be about continuing to train well, build up my base and then hopefully press for AFL selection in the not too distant future. 

“For now though, I’m just looking at the next challenge ahead of me, and that is putting in a good performance at SANFL level this weekend.” 

Adelaide’s SANFL team will face North Adelaide at Prospect Oval this Saturday, with the first bounce at 2.30pm.