With his performance against St Kilda on Thursday night, Tom Mitchell may have surprised a few with just how quickly he was able to get back to being, well, Tom Mitchell. 

With five tackles to his name and nearly 60 per cent of his team-high 21 touches being contested, Mitchell immersed himself into the action instantly in his three quarters of game-time. 

Although the ever-modest 26-year-old quickly downplayed the occasion post-match.

"I was just happy to get the first game out of the way and get through injury-free," Mitchell said.

"I was able to hit some bodies and lay a few tackles and get into the game that way."

True to his reputation, the 2018 Brownlow Medallist was somewhat harsh in his reflection of his performance.

But he did manage to give himself some level of leeway.

"I was probably a little bit rusty with my hands, but that'll come I'm sure.

"I haven't played a game for 17 months or whatever it's been."