Yet in his comeback game for Harrow-Balmoral at the weekend - his first for the club since 2011 - the former AFL player admitted he felt a few butterflies.

"Just returning to my home club and having not played for a while, I was actually pretty nervous before the game," Close said.

"But once we got into it it was all good. I really enjoyed just being out there alongside some of my old mates.

"A lot of the people playing for the club at the moment are just local kids that grew up playing here, so it's a pretty special group."

Close was playing his first competitive match since he suffered a serious concussion and bleeding on the brain in a VFL match in June 2018.

He said he was relieved to receive the all clear from a specialist the day before the match against Pimpinio.

"I got the scans back on Friday. The first thing he said to me was, 'I've only got good news for you today'," Close said.

"It was a bit of relief ... I thought it was going to be alright, but I couldn't be sure.

"Luckily (an MRI) showed the brain was back to normal and there's no real risk of doing it again."

Close said part of the allure of returning to his home club this season was the chance to play alongside his brothers Anthony and Simon.

While Anthony joined him against Pimpinio, the club will have to wait at least another week before all three stride out side-by-side.

"I've never actually played a game of footy with Simon, which should happen not this week but the week after. He's over on his honeymoon in the middle of the football season - so that's pretty poor from him," Close joked.

"But it is something that I've always looked forward to. I've always wanted to play footy alongside my brothers.

"It's just exciting for the football club, and for Mum and Dad and my family."

The last time Close played for his home club was in 2011, in a losing grand final against Kalkee. Close also played in the grand final in 2010, against the same side and with the same disappointing outcome.

This season, Harrow-Balmoral appear the clear premiership favourites, undefeated through nine games and now buoyed by the return of Close, quite possibly the club's best player.

Close said he was determined to go one better than 2010 or 2011.

"I've played in two losing grand finals, so I'm bloody keen to get one," he said.

"That's the goal of all our players at the moment."