CIARAN Byrne continued his gradual return from injury with a solid performance for the Northern Blues against Williamstown at Ikon Park on Sunday.

The dashing defender amassed 17 disposals on a tough day for the Blues, who went down by 39 points.

It was Byrne’s second game back from a lengthy injury layoff, after a quad injury sidelined him for just shy of three months. 

Those 17 disposals came in limited game-time, with the Irishman continuing to build himself up to full fitness. His last AFL game came in Round 3 against Collingwood.

Northern Blues senior coach Josh Fraser said Byrne’s comeback from injury had been a boost.

“'Casey' is showing some of the footy that made him such an important part of the senior team,” Fraser said post-match.

“The time he spent on the ground, he defended quite well and used the ball effectively throughout the game.”

Byrne was joined by returning youngsters Kym Lebois (two goals) and Angus Schumacher (13 disposals) as a trio on restricted game-time against the Seagulls.

After 14 disposals against Footscray in his return game, Byrne continued to lift his output despite being rotated throughout the match.

“At VFL level, he was one of those three who we had to manage his game-time over four quarters yesterday. You’ve got to make sure that’s mapped out really well,” Fraser said.

“He’s just going to keep getting better and once he keeps building continuity - that’s where he builds confidence from.

“We’re excited to have him back.”

Byrne was one of nine Carlton-listed players taking to the field against Williamstown yesterday, in a team which also fielded nine teenagers for the third time this year.

From an AFL perspective, Nick Graham was prolific with 33 disposals and two goals, while Levi Casboult responded with seven marks on a difficult day for Northern’s forwards.

“I thought he competed in the air pretty well, his best footy comes when he’s playing with a real presence and is aggressive in the contest,” Fraser said.

“He’ll keep working really hard on areas of his game, he’s an experienced player who we want to get back to his best form as soon as we can.”