WESTERN Bulldogs skipper Bob Murphy has taken a small but important step on the comeback trail from his knee reconstruction by running for the first time.

Murphy took "baby steps" on the Alter-G anti-gravity treadmill on Wednesday, more than three months after he went down with a torn ACL in the dying seconds of a heartbreaking round-three loss to Hawthorn.

"Yeah, I did. I had a run, which has taken about 14 weeks but I had a trot, so I'm out of the blocks," Murphy told Fox Footy.

"I was trying to downplay it … but as soon as I started running, it was a joyful run."

Rumours have swirled that Murphy, 34, might attempt a shock return this season to take part in the Bulldogs' finals campaign.

But coach Luke Beveridge was quick to dismiss the speculation this week.

"No, he's not. Definitely not," he said.

"I know that was a bit of a rumour, but he won't come back this year. We'll get him back next year, which is brilliant."

Murphy's setback was a major blow for the Dogs early in their 2016 campaign and the hits have kept on coming.

Mitch Wallis' horrific broken leg and Jack Redpath's torn ACL in the defeat to the Saints last Saturday punctuated a traumatic night for the club, which also dropped from third to seventh on the ladder.

Stars Jason Johannisen (hamstring) and Luke Dahlhaus (knee) have also been sidelined long term in a challenging year on the injury front.

"Every year, every footy team, every player, you kind of go in with the armour on that the footy season's a rollercoaster [with] wins and losses and guys being injured," Murphy said.

"But this year's been extreme, with the injuries, the amount and then the severity of them.

"The circumstances, it's been quite dramatic and extreme. We've been a resilient team and a resilient club, it just tests that a little bit more."

The Dogs have to bounce back from distressing scenes after the Saints loss, with Wallis wailing in agony in the rooms post-match and only a six-day break before facing Geelong this Friday night.

"I've been playing 17 years at AFL level, for my whole life basically, it's not something I've ever encountered," Murphy said.

"It's kind of off the radar of what you're prepared for as a footballer.

"To be in the meeting room listening to our coach, who was distressed himself, to then hear one of your football brothers in agony was something that will take a long time if ever … I'm not sure we'll ever forget it."