Before Geelong defender Josh Hunt made his AFL comeback on Sunday, he kept a particularly close eye on Friday night's NAB Cup match.

More than most other players, he wanted to make sure the Etihad Stadium surface would be up to scratch.

Hunt returned to the Cats' senior side on Sunday for their round-one Cup loss to North Melbourne at the ground.

It was nearly a year since he wrenched his knee early in the NAB Cup final win over Collingwood, also at Etihad Stadium.

So the southern end of the ground, badly scuffed by last week's AC/DC concerts, had Hunt's full attention.

But there were no mishaps during Friday's Collingwood-St Kilda game, slightly easing his nerves.

"It was shifting sand out there, but not once did it (the knee) feel like it was a little bit weak, it's come on really well," he said.

"I watched pretty closely the other night, the St Kilda-Collingwood game - although it (the surface) does look a little bit bare, it's still not too bad.

"For me, it felt alright."

Stadium staff had started resurfacing the southern end soon after the North-Geelong match.

Assistant coach Brenton Sanderson said Hunt was clearly nervous before the game, something the 2007 premiership defender did not deny.

"I was a little bit nervous, obviously to start footy again after nearly 12 months, coming back and trying to get into the routine of things - it's a good sort of nervous," Hunt said.

"I struggled a bit, it wasn't the best game I've ever played by no mean stretch, but just to get out there and get through the game and for the knee to feel really good, was a step forward."

Amid the talk about whether this group can win Geelong their third premiership in four years, Hunt is one Cat lacking nothing for motivation.

He has time to make up after being part of the history-making 2007 premiership and then playing in the side that lost the 2008 grand final to Hawthorn.

"Why can't we? - that's what I always ask," Hunt said.

"Yeah, we've lost 'Harls' (captain Tom Harley), and he's going to be a massive loss, but other than that we don't have that much of a different look to the team.

"Everyone is a year older, the young blokes are a year stronger and the old blokes just keep getting more and more wily - it can only get better, I think."

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