Francis Evans and Nathan Kreuger made successful returns from injury in Geelong’s Round 6 57-point win against Coburg on Thursday night.

Evans worked himself into the contest and got better as the game progressed.

He finished with two goals and five score involvements from his nine disposals, which included one of the best highlights of the game, a freakish goal from mid-air during the third term.

“He’s one of those guys that can kick a goal from anywhere,” VFL coach Shane O’Bree said post-game.

“You could see that he is probably a little bit behind, and we’ve got to get a bit more work into him just so he is able to run full tilt and do what he can do for longer periods, but we are just rapt for Frank to be back playing footy.

“He’s done an eight-week rehab with a severe ankle injury as well and hopefully he should pull up well from it and just keep building his fitness now, agility and execution with the ball.”

Kreuger was also impressive upon his return to the team after a five-week layoff through injury.

He finished with 12 disposals (100% efficiency), eight rebound 50s and six marks to be named in Geelong’s best.

O’Bree was delighted with the return of his key defender.

“I think that’s the best defensive game I’ve seen him play,” O’Bree said.

“A lot of the time, he was right up on his opponent; closing speed, spoil, just hard to play against as a defender.

“Then he was really composed with ball in hand coming off a five-week injury.

“Before the injury, he was heading in that direction. It shows he’s done the work in his rehab and implemented it really well tonight.”

The Bendigo Bank Cats will play Collingwood in Round 7 at the MCG on Saturday 29 May.