SYDNEY SWAN Jared Crouch returned to competitive action lastweekend with an outing in Canberrafor the reserves against Ainslie.

It was the 29-year-old’s first match since injuring hishamstring in round nine against the Western Bulldogs and, although the fixturedidn’t provide a huge challenge for the Swans, who were 159-point winners,Crouch says he’s just glad to be back playing.

“It’s great to back because I’m not a good spectator,”Crouch says.

“You just want to be out there with your teammates. It’sprobably worse when you’re losing. You just want to be out there and helpthem.”

Crouch played 60 minutes of the game, getting 16 touches,three marks and a goal. With the reserves having a bye this weekend, thePremiership player says it could be three or four weeks before he’s back in thesenior side.

“It’s all about working hard and making sure I’m doing theright things. I don’t expect to play a few games and get straight back inthere.

“I’ve got to be showing the coaches and my teammates thatI’m doing the right thing.”

Crouch could be forgiven for thinking he was indestructible,but lately has had a constant battle with injury.

After playing 194 consecutive games from his debut in 1998,he finally succumbed to shoulder and ankle problems last year, playing just 12games. He says accepting his body needed to rest wasn’t an easy decision.

“No footballer wants to admit defeat and put their hand upand say ‘I’m sore’.

“I had a body that wasn’t too happy with me and a mind thatkept saying, ‘you can keep going, you can keep going’.

“In terms of thinking record [for consecutive games], itdidn’t mean anything to me really.

“It was more the fact that if I wasn’t playing, I’d be lettingmy teammates down.

“But then the brain starts to think a bit smarter and sayonce you’re playing sore, you’re letting your teammates down because you can’tbe 100 per cent.

“Once I made the initial decision, the body leapt for joy.My body’s certainly not in as much pain as it was last year.”

Despite his bad run of injury, Crouch insists he doesn’tfeel hard done by.

“It’s just a thing that happens. If you look over players’careers who play for eight or nine years, they probably miss 30 games.

“I’ve just missed all mine together. Maybe I’d prefer itthat way. I’m not sure I’d like to be one of those players who plays six games,gets an injury, misses one, and can’t get a run.”