The midfielder had not played a game since he lined up for the Thunder in July of 2012, right before he ruptured his left ACL for the second time. Morabito injured his knee again in January 2013 and opted for a hybrid graft LARS reconstruction.
Watched on by a large group of the Fremantle Dockers playing squad, the 22-year-old was in the action at the first bounce, lining up in defence. He received a great ovation from the healthy crowd that had turned up to watch his return.
Morabito showed flashes of the ability that had made him one of the most talked about youngsters in the country in his debut 2010 season, in which he played 23 games.
After the game, Morabito said he was elated to get out on the park after the long rehab.
“It was really exciting,” he said.
“It felt like it was yesterday that I played my last game, but it was actually about 23 months ago.
“I’ve done all the preparation and all the work, so today was just putting everything I’ve done for the past 18 months into practice.
“It was good to get through unscathed, but it’s really just one stepping stone for me on the path to wherever it takes me.”
Morabito found plenty of the ball early on, including a passage where he burst through a pack with the speed and grace of old.
“You don’t lose talent, I’ve been told,” Morabito said.
“I’ve worked so hard on my legs in the weights room, so I knew that when that opportunity arises, it comes natural to me.”
As planned, Morabito only played limited minutes, pulling off the boots at three quarter time.
Pleasingly, he did not encounter any issues with his knee throughout the contest.
“The knee was really good,” he said.
“I’ve tested it pretty thoroughly throughout match simulation at training.”
He was also heartened by the presence of his Fremantle Dockers teammates at Bendigo Bank Stadium.
“They’ve all been there along the way, they’ve seen the hard times and times that haven’t been much fun,” Morabito said.
“For them, it was just the conclusion of that part of my life.
“It’s just one step at a time. I’ll work every day and whatever eventuates, eventuates.”
