Jack Higgins was a breath of fresh air in his first 18 months as a Tiger, but Thursday night marked his first appearance in almost a year.

In between, the cheeky forward underwent brain surgery, so his ability to be back playing on the MCG promises to be one of the heart-warming moments of the round.

He out-bodied Collingwood opponent John Noble to mark the Sherrin for his first touch early in the first quarter and was a genuine contributor in Richmond's fightback.

Higgins’ return match will personally be best remembered for the two score reviews he was part of.

The second came shortly before three-quarter time, resulting in him being paid a mark right on the behind line and kicking a key goal with his left boot that left the Tigers trailing by only two points.

Higgins was a valuable contributor for Richmond in his comeback appearance, finishing with 12 disposals, eight marks, three tackles, one goal, three score involvements and 314 metres gained.

Those numbers, however, weren’t the main reason the 21-year-old was smiling in his post-match interview with Fox Footy’s Dermott Brereton.

“I’m just happy I’m playing. That’s the thing I’m happy with,” Higgins said.

“When I went down with the brain injury last year, I thought I’d never play again, or even walk or anything like that.

“I couldn’t really see . . . I remember watching the Grand Final last year, when the boys won, and I could hardly see the game and what was going on. I was just going off the crowd because Richmond had a lot of fans there . . . That’s basically how I found out.

“So to be playing tonight, I’ve got to commend all the people that supported me and all the coaches. They gave me heaps of feedback.”