WEST COAST key position prospect Mitch Brown has made a storming return from the knee injury that sidelined him for all of 2008, winning the club's first pre-season beep test in a personal-best time.

First, second and third year players returned to training on Tuesday and coach John Worsfold said the 19-year-old would provide the Eagles with added flexibility once the new season got underway.

"To see Mitch Brown missing a year with a knee injury and then to come out and run the best result up at 15.0 is an outstanding effort," Worsfold said.

"It shows a lot about his attitude towards his game.

"The best runners in the game are aiming to be running at level 15, so to be able to do that gives him plenty of scope in terms of his pre-season training.

"I see him being able to play both (forward and back), and he gives us flexibility as to how we use an Adam Hunter as well.

"So we'll have a look at him in various roles through the pre-season, but I'm confident he'll be able to play both roles very well."

The twin brother of Collingwood defender Nathan, Brown played five games in 2007 but tore his ACL in a pre-season clash with the Magpies in February.

West Coast's youngsters were joined by captain Darren Glass and utility Brent Staker, while a number of senior players will also train this week.

Worsfold said the rest of the squad was not due back until next Tuesday, but their willingness to return early was a positive sign.

"Yeah, it is pleasing," he said. "I don't know what else they'd want to do. Why would you want to do anything else than get back in training?

"It's good, the young boys are all keen and ready to go, and to have some of those players voluntarily coming back and getting started with them shows a lot."

Sixteen players endured Tuesday's beep test, and Worsfold added that midfielder Matt Priddis was another front-runner, registering 15.0.

In recent seasons West Coast has waited until the new year to get the majority of its squad in full training, however, Worsfold was pleased to announce most of his players will be back by mid-November.

"There's only about 28 players when the whole squad's back that'll be able to do full tackling and everything," he said.

"[But] over the following two to three weeks most of those guys will get back."