PAUL Bevan will return to the Swans senior team on Saturday after a lengthy absence because of injury and form.

Bevan, a member of Sydney’s 2005 premiership team, had a troubled 2006. He managed just nine games after missing the first 12 rounds with hamstring problems, and played the majority of the season with the Swans Reserves in the AFL Canberra League.

A late replacement in the Swans’ round 21 match against Brisbane, he was later dropped and named as an emergency for the club’s final four appearances in 2006, including the AFL Grand Final.

Even a best-on-ground performance in the Reserves grand final was not enough to catapult the defender into the final 22 on the last Saturday in September.

"It was pretty tough, especially watching the game when the boys were out there," Bevan said.

"It was such a great feeling, when I was out there playing in the grand final (in 2005). I couldn’t do much about it. I wasn't in the best 22 back then, so I'm hoping to be in the best 22 towards the end of the year."

The 23-year-old had a promising pre-season before succumbing to another hamstring injury in a practise match against Collingwood at Narrandera, in southern NSW.

"He was in really good form pre-season," coach Paul Roos recalled this week.

"He played a couple of his best games for a while. We were really looking forward to the start of the season with him."

Bevan missed the opening four rounds of this season with the injury, and has played the past two in the Swans Reserves."It was frustrating," Bevan said. "But I've done everything right to get it back into top order."

Bevan will line up for game no.49 and his first senior match in eight months this Saturday against St Kilda at Telstra Dome and is looking forward to the challenge.

"I've got a role out there to do," he said. "I don't have to do anything too special, just beat my man and stuff like that."

Roos is encouraged by Bevan's return.

"He's a good player for us … he generally uses the ball pretty well," Roos said. "So hopefully he can have a good game on the weekend."