RICHMOND midfielder Mark Coughlan took the first step to returning to senior football yesterday, playing a half of football in Coburg's 53-point win over Collingwood at ABD Group Stadium.

After undergoing two knee reconstructions, Coughlan's comeback was again disrupted due to hamstring soreness, but the 26-year-old got through yesterday's match unscathed.

Limited game time and close checking by Collingwood's Paul Licuria kept Coughlan to 10 possessions, but it was enough for Coburg coach, Jade Rawlings, who said he was happy to see the injury-plagued midfielder playing again.

"I thought it was just good to see him get out and play," Rawlings said. "It has been a while since he played. I thought he tackled well and put himself into a position to get the ball a few times and he was solid."

After the match Coughlan said he was happy to get through his first game back. "It was just good to get out there and get through it," he said. (The knee) has been good for a couple months now. I was just more worried about getting through the game and (I) did that. I played about a half and it felt all right.

"I'll probably be tested a bit more in the next couple of weeks when I play a full game but generally I felt all right. Obviously the match fitness is a bit behind but that will take a couple of games."

Coughlan is eager to return to the Richmond line-up but said he was expecting to play a few more matches at VFL level. He added, at best, he could be back in the Richmond squad within a month.

"Realistically I have got to get a couple full games under my belt and feel really good during the week. The boys are playing really well, mind you, and there was some pretty good players playing down at Coburg today, so it's certainly not going to be a walk-in."

Coughlan wouldn't have felt too out of place in the VFL with many Richmond teammates — namely Joel Bowden, Greg Tivendale, Kayne Pettifer, Jay Schulz and Graham Polak — around him. Bowden played up forward but kicked like a defender finishing with three goals and four points. But Rawlings was pleased with the 29-year-old, saying playing him in the forward line has given him a new challenge.

"He has spent three or four games down here with us now and I thought I'd keep offering him new challenges. He has done everything in the game pretty much with the midfield and back line in senior footy. He's a very natural forward the way he moves, so if he kicked straighter he was probably the best man on the ground."

On a day when it was hard to find positives for Collingwood, coach Gavin Brown praised father-son recruit Jaxson Barham, who has missed two months with injury.

Barham was among Collingwood's best along with Ryan Lonie, Danny Stanley and Kevin Dyas.

Brown, though, was disappointed his side had another fade out.

"I said to the boys, three of the five games we have played we have dropped off in the last quarter but today we did it in the second and third quarters."

In other results, ladder leader North Ballarat defeated Tasmania by 49 points, the Box Hill Hawks remain winless after a 14-point loss against Geelong and the Werribee Tigers registered a 15-point victory against Port Melbourne.