LACHIE Whitfield will return to Greater Western Sydney next month with a renewed focus and well prepared for the next phase of his football career. 

Giants coach Leon Cameron has been in regular contact with the talented wingman, who is banned from playing until the middle of May for having evaded a drug test during 2015. 

"I can catch up with him and talk about what's going on in his life, but not about footy or what's going on at the club," Cameron explained to AFL.com.au this week. 

"He's going OK, but it is disappointing. I'm not going to sit here and say everything's rosy, because it's not. It's disappointing he's not preparing to play in the opening game of the JLT series. We'd love him to be here and he'd love to be out there."

Whitfield, 22 and with 72 games to his name, has engaged a personal trainer and has spent time in Noosa since the AFL handed down the six-month suspension last November. 

"His training has been outstanding," Cameron continued. "He's done community work and it's been really good for him seeking out and taking control of his own destiny." 

Cameron said Whitfield had put plenty of thought into what he would do when he comes back to the club next month, ahead of his return to playing in May.

"He has planned it out meticulously well. He has identified the charity work he needed to do, areas for growth and how he is going to train and have an impact.

"He's a hugely popular player at the footy club, his family has been through a hard time and hopefully time will fix all that up," Cameron said.

In the short term, the Giants will be looking to former Richmond star Brett Deledio to help fill the midfield void.

The 29-year-old has also been earmarked as a forward and Cameron is eager to unleash him in games and add to the mix. 

"There's no doubting Brett's ability to play," he said. "He kicks the ball really well and breaks the lines. He's a hard player to match-up on because he can mark the ball and also win it at ground level and he has great skill." 

Cameron suggested the move to the Giants would freshen Deledio up nicely.

"He's played 12 years of footy and was probably getting a little bit stale and we've seen more players changing clubs in the last five years. 

"There's no doubt he has settled really well and that takes time with a young family. He's looking forward to the start of the season and for his footy to do the talking in his first year at the club," he said.