Experienced midfielder Travis Johnstone says he felt like a debutant again, before he played his first match for the season against Richmond at MC Labour Park on Saturday.

Johnstone had not played in the team's previous two NAB Cup/Challenge matches due to a broken toe, yet the 2005 Keith 'Bluey' Truscott Trophy winner, who gathered 25 touches in Melbourne's 28-point win over Richmond, was rapt to be in the action again.

"It was good. I was pretty excited before the game. It was like I was playing my first game ever. It was good to get a couple of touches, come out injury-free and have a win too," Johnstone told melbournefc.com.au.

"I broke [the toe] in a wrestling drill at training. I was in bare feet. I was going to play last week, but just for safety, they said, 'Don't worry, come out and play next week'."

Johnstone said his toe was still sore, although he added he got through the match with "no worries".

The 26-year-old was also noticeably stronger in the upper body on the field against the Tigers, and Johnstone confirmed his shape has developed.

"I've put on a couple of kilos, but nothing drastic," Johnstone said.

"I feel a little bit stronger, but I've probably hardened up with all the fitness and running work, so it's probably just the fact I've done everything, so everything's going alright at the moment and hopefully it'll keep going that way."

Despite its practice match status, Johnstone said the side's first win of 2007 was timely.

"That was huge. We needed the win. We had Hawthorn on toast a couple of weeks ago [and then lost] and then the boys were pretty good against Adelaide in the first quarter and then completely dropped away, so it was good to win," Johnstone said.

"You need at least one win just to get the confidence going, especially with the start of the season so close."