AFTER more than 560 days away from the main group at Fremantle training, young gun Alex Pearce finally made it back.
Pearce, 22, joined in the with the rest of his teammates in some drills on Monday.
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He will not yet take on a full workload as he continues recovering from a badly broken right leg suffered more than a year ago.
"I got the call-up to join in with the first couple of drills at training, which is the first time since round nine, 2016," Pearce told fremantlefc.com.au.
"It's been a long time coming. It was a pretty special day actually, to be out there with the boys and to finally join back in."
Since that game against Richmond, the Dockers have picked up 22 new players.
"About half the group I haven't actually trained with," Pearce said.
"Sean Darcy at one stage tapped me on the bum and said 'It's good to see you out here for a change. I haven't trained with you yet'.
Forward Michael Apeness also joined in the main session for the first time since he had surgery on his right knee for a posterior cruciate ligament injury suffered in May.
More recovery is necessary for Pearce, who looms as a key backman for Freo but has shown potential up forward as well.
"Over the next month or two I'll slowly build in and do a little bit more and just continue my running afterwards until I'm back," he said.
Pearce had been a fortnight away from a return to full training in January this year before he suffered another crack in the bone that originally sidelined him. Subsequent infections meant he didn't feature at all in 2017.
He has played 21 matches since he was drafted at No.37 in 2013.
Teammate Tommy Sheridan made sure everyone knew Pearce was back on the track.
"I think it was before the second drill when all the boys were in together," Pearce said.
"Tommy got everyone's attention and told them it's been roughly 550 days since the last time I trained and he acknowledged that and I got a bit of a round of applause.
"It was nice from Tom. He's always good at getting around the lads. I was really appreciative of that."
