Jon Griffin made a successful return to football on Saturday, getting through his first game in almost a year.

Griffin played limited game time in Peel Thunder’s loss to Swan Districts.

The Fremantle ruckman hadn’t played since round 7 last year, when he injured his anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) in a game against Collingwood at Patersons Stadium.

Speaking to the media after the game, Griffin said the knee had pulled up well.

"It's been a long wait, I was on limited game time today, but it was good just to get through unscathed and, hopefully, I can string a few strong games together for Peel,” he said.

"I've had limited game time, so it's hard to get a gauge on where it's at fitness-wise. I'll look through my game today and critique it pretty harshly.

"From there, with the building of game time, I can make a couple of steps forward in that direction and get some good form behind me.

“I've made some good increases in strength through my legs and it was a really good pre-season for me."

Fellow Freo ruckman Zac Clarke had a prominent afternoon, with 38 hit-outs and 15 possessions, however he was reported for rough conduct in the final quarter.