A POSITIVE mindset is a requirement for coming back from a long-term injury, and Melbourne forward Russell Robertson has that in spades.

The high-leaping forward snapped his achilles at the start of June last year, and since then has endured a gruelling rehabilitation process as he made his way back to football.

This Sunday he returns for the first time, and he will run out onto his beloved MCG again.

At a media conference on Friday, he left nobody in any doubt as to how excited he was.

"I'm super-thrilled – it's been long time, 10 or 11 months now," the 30-year-old said.

"From the initial achilles injury it seemed so far off, getting back and playing, and now it's actually here.

"To be able to run out on the MCG again – I've had that feeling inside for the whole 10 months, where I just want to get back out on the 'G.

"It's just going to be fantastic, I can't wait."

While he had his fears during the enforced layoff, losing the support of the club wasn't one of them.

"When you get to dirty-30, it's common that people are going to write you off, and say that it's all over, but I don't think for a moment I thought it was all over, because the club got behind me right from the start.

"They said; ‘get yourself right, mate, and we'll get you back out there’.

"There have been a few little doubts, of course – will it be OK? Will the achilles heal correctly?

"But it's been smooth sailing up until now."

Robertson said that despite the Dees being rank outsiders for the clash with Geelong, the team took belief from the fact Richmond led the Cats at the last change a couple of weeks ago, just before Melbourne defeated the Tigers to record its first win of the year.

"The way we've trained this week, the way the boys have put in, and the way the talk is – there's a real belief that we can actually give Geelong a shake like Richmond did down on their own dung-heap three or four weeks ago.

"Look, obviously we know how great Geelong are, and they've obviously got some marquee players that are playing unbelievable football at the moment, but it's our ground, and with our supporters … I think, in this league at the moment you'll agree with me, anything can happen on any given day."