MATTHEW Kreuzer emerged unscathed and played a crucial role in the Northern Blues’ one-point victory.

Back for his first game of season 2019, Kreuzer - who had knee surgery in January - collected 15 disposals and kicked a goal as Northern held on for a spirited victory.

Speaking post-match, Kreuzer was pleased to report that his body got through all four quarters.

And after ticking off his first game for the year, he’s excited to see what comes next.

“It was nice running around freely. The body felt good and I played out the whole game which was nice,” Kreuzer said.

“We just had to manage the game loads with a few extra rotations. I’ll train next week and we’ll see what happens.”

Spending the game predominantly in the ruck with stints up forward, Kreuzer had to negotiate the challenge of coming up against three Geelong ruckman.

It was Kreuzer’s typical ability to impact around the ground which set him apart.

The big man also hit the scoreboard 15 minutes into his return, as the Blues prevailed by the narrowest possible margin.

“It was nice, I haven’t had too many running goals,” he said.

“It was really good to see that fighting spirit, holding on for a one-point win in the end. The young boys held on really well, it’s exciting times.”

Northern Blues senior coach Josh Fraser said he was delighted to see the ruckman return in full flight, putting together the performance of an “ultimate professional”.

“We were really happy with ‘Kreuz’. I thought his ruck work was terrific,” Fraser said.

“Importantly, he got through unscathed. He’ll continue to build and he played the way a complete professional does when he plays VFL. His leadership shone through.”