GEELONG forward Mitch Clark hopes to be in full training before Christmas but the news is not so promising for ruckman Rhys Stanley.

Stanley is recovering from a foot injury that cut short his debut season for the Cats and admits it's been a slow road back.

While the former Saint is upbeat about his progress, he's not expected to join in training with the main group until January.

"It’s going well," Stanley told Geelong's website.

"The surgeon’s really happy, the physio’s really happy, so (it's) progressing nicely.

"It’s been a slow sort of road, and we struggled for a while to get some traction, but I'm feeling really good."

Clark is edging closer to a return to full training as he looks to put a difficult first season with Geelong behind him.

The 28-year-old has fought a well-documented battle against clinical depression and his 2015 campaign came to a premature end after round nine when he succumbed to a calf injury.

"I hope to be back in full training in the next week or two," Clark said.

"It's really just the physio holding me back at the moment. I'm just getting that little bit of extra work in before Christmas.

"If it doesn't happen before Christmas, it will definitely be just after that when I'll be back with the main group and doing everything.

"I could probably be in all the drills at the moment.

"But we're sort of just holding back a little bit at the moment and just taking our time, making sure I can get this old body in the best shape that it can be."

A fit-again Clark looms as a key figure in a revamped Cats line-up next season.

A busy off-season netted experienced recruits Patrick Dangerfield, Lachie Henderson, Scott Selwood and Zac Smith, with Clark keen to play a large role in returning the club to the finals.

Mitch Clark says only the Geelong physio is holding him back from full training. Picture: AFL Media

"There definitely is a fresh feel to the place," he said.

"I sort of feel really new myself having only played eight games last season.

"The guys that have come in just recently have brought a lot of excitement to the group and I'm looking forward to getting out there and playing with them all."