ADELAIDE
Snapshot: Following a disastrous run with injury last summer, the Crows have made a more measured start to pre-season training than in previous years and have also hired a sprint coach. Draftees Brodie Smith and Jarryd Lyons got to know their new teammates during a bonding trip to Blanchetown last month and will be looking forward to the club's getaway to the Gold Coast in January.
Medical room: David Mackay (groin), Will Young (shoulder) and new recruit Richard Tambling (groin/knee) won't join in full training until the new year, but Andy Otten and Brad Moran are up and running after missing all of last season with knee injuries.
Early mover: Promoted rookie Matthew Jaensch, who was disciplined for an off-field indiscretion last season, has gone a way to earning back the trust of his teammates. Jaensch has improved his skin folds and is now training "like a professional athlete", physical performance manager Stephen Schwerdt says.
NAB Cup opener: February 11 v Melbourne and Port Adelaide at AAMI Stadium

BRISBANE LIONS
Snapshot: The club's oldest players are all back in training but several, including Jonathan Brown and Brendan Fevola, are still some distance from rejoining the main group. Jack Redden and Niall McKeever have starred in the 3km time trials while Andrew Raines is enjoying his first uninterrupted pre-season at the club.
Medical room: New recruit Rohan Bewick has a stress fracture in his shin and is at least a month from joining the main group, while Joel Patfull's fitness is excellent after a minor hand operation following the China trip. Fevola has resumed running and should rejoin the main group after Christmas. Skipper Brown's preparation is targeted to round one.
Early mover: High performance manager Brett Burton rates Sam Sheldon and impressive youngster Tom Rockliff as two of the early stars on the track. After missing most of 2010 through injury, Sheldon has enjoyed a clean run at his 2011 campaign so date.
NAB Cup opener: February 18 v Essendon and St Kilda at Etihad Stadium

CARLTON
Snapshot: This week the Blues have undertaken a five-day training camp at the Victorian seaside town of Sorrento. While the group cycled over 100km to get there from Melbourne, the emphasis of the camp was team building and game planning. The draftees were excused from the bike ride and are being eased into AFL life, but first-round pick Matthew Watson is already impressing.
Medical room: Brock McLean has been backed off a little in his preparation, with over-training early thought to be one of the key contributors to his injury-riddled 2010 season. Matthew Kreuzer continues to make solid gains in his recovery from a knee reconstruction, but the club isn't keen to set down a concrete return date after Jarrad Waite probably pushed a little too hard to make it back for round one last year. Bret Thornton is recovering well from shoulder surgery.
Early mover: Michael Jamison is enjoying his first pre-season unhindered by injury and is reaping the benefits early. Shaun Hampson is similarly well-placed after hamstring injuries dogged him prior to last Christmas.
NAB Cup opener: February 12 v Richmond and Collingwood at Etihad Stadium

COLLINGWOOD
Snapshot: Collingwood didn't regroup for pre-season training until November 12, and the majority of the players headed for the high altitude of Flagstaff, Arizona. Trade week acquisition Andrew Krakouer and a couple of injured Pies including Alan Didak stayed behind to train and continue their rehab. Despite their premiership success there was no slacking off in the USA, with a Grand Canyon trek and successive climbs to the peak of Mount Humphrey among the endeavours. The squad has returned and will resume full training in the coming days.
Medical room: Didak is recovering from surgery to reattach his pectoral muscle but has been running. Nathan Brown is another who stayed behind and has made good progress from the ankle injury he suffered in the grand final.
Early mover: There were a number of eye-catchers in Arizona. Of the younger brigade, Luke Rounds and promising big man Lachlan Keeffe looked in good nick. Usual frontrunners Scott Pendlebury, Dayne Beams and Luke Ball also set a good pace.
NAB Cup opener: February 12 v Carlton and Richmond at Etihad Stadium

ESSENDON
Snapshot: It's been a tough road for the Bombers since they returned to training on October 28. There's been more running and plenty of skill work, with James Hird attempting to impress a new game plan upon his team. The five draftees landed on November 22 and have been eased into training.
Medical room: David Hille (knee), Scott Gumbleton (knee) and Tayte Pears (foot) have all had recent surgery but will be back running by Christmas. Cale Hooker (hamstring) has recently joined the rehab group made up of David Myers (foot), Anthony Long (hamstring) and Taite Silverlock (foot). All are on reduced loads while Silverlock will run soon and Hooker in the next week.
Early mover: After a disappointing second year with the Bombers, former Geelong midfielder Brent Prismall is training the house down and looks a picture of fitness as he works towards a regular senior berth in 2011.
NAB Cup opener: February 18 v Brisbane Lions and St Kilda at Etihad Stadium

FREMANTLE
Snapshot: Pre-season has been highly competitive at Fremantle Oval, with seven players competing for the last spot on the senior list. Former Pie John Anthony and delisted Ben Bucovaz, who has been promised a position on the rookie list, both appear sharp with the full squad now back in training.
Medical room: Roger Hayden returned to training with a protective cast on his left foot, but he has since had surgery to repair fractures and is likely to miss the first half of next season. Hayden Ballantyne is free of his moon boot but yet to start running.
Early mover: Mature-age recruit Tendai Mzungu made an immediate impact on day one of pre-season, running second in the 2km time trial, and he has since been described as one of the most professional recruits to arrive at Fremantle Oval.
NAB Cup opener: February 13 v Hawthorn and West Coast at Patersons Stadium

GEELONG CATS
Snapshot: While many other clubs are taking their players overseas to places like Arizona and New Zealand, the Cats are doing their pre-season at home in Geelong. New coach Chris Scott has been overseeing a brutal training regime, although the players were allowed to skip the 4x500m sprints scheduled for the end of one session because they had already put in so much effort.
Medical room: Rookie-listed forward Ben Johnson has recovered well from post-season shoulder surgery and has been able to hit the weights in a big way. Cats insiders say that if he keeps it up, 2011 may be a breakout year for the youngster from local club Bell Park.
Early mover: Having taken over Matthew Egan's old No.19 jumper, young gun Taylor Hunt has been impressing his teammates on and off the park. Hunt arrived back at the club sporting a large tattoo down the right side of his torso and has been keen to show it off.
NAB Cup opener: February 20 v North Melbourne and Western Bulldogs at Skilled Stadium

GOLD COAST
Snapshot: The entire Suns squad assembled for pre-season on the Monday following the NAB AFL Draft and there have been no major hiccups since. David Swallow rolled an ankle in that session, which included a 2km time trial, but he did complete the run. That was also Gary Ablett's first outing in Suns colours. While fitness has been an obvious focus, so too has getting to know one another - a point which will be emphasised during a three-night camp on the Sunshine Coast from December 19 to 22.
Medical room: Gold Coast has no major concerns. Jarrod Harbrow has had a slightly delayed start because of shoulder surgery but has been able to do a lot of the conditioning work, while Nathan Krakouer (groin) is another on a modified program.
Early mover: Josh Caddy and Dion Prestia have been the pick of the draftees. As for the youngsters already established at the club, Maverick Weller, Brandon Matera and Swallow look in great shape.
NAB Cup opener: February 19 v Sydney Swans and Greater Western Sydney at Blacktown Olympic Park

HAWTHORN
Snapshot: The Hawks went on a five-day training camp to New Zealand in the last week of November. In addition to skills sessions, the players took part in mountain hikes, bike rides and white water rafting. The camp was designed to freshen up the playing group after the first four-week block of pre-season training and springboard them into the pre-Christmas block.
Medical room: Rick Ladson continues on a modified program, but should be able to resume full training around Christmas time. The recent draftees are being eased into training.
Early mover: Cameron Bruce has been impressive since joining the Hawks on the track. The former Demon has been at or near the front in various runs and looks set to be a valuable pick-up if the Hawks snare him in the pre-season draft.
NAB Cup opener: February 13 v West Coast and Fremantle at Patersons Stadium

MELBOURNE
Snapshot: As a bottom-eight side in 2010, the Demons were one of the first teams back on the track. They kicked things off with a trip to Shanghai to take on the Brisbane Lions in the first AFL exhibition match ever staged in China.
Medical room: Forward Ricky Petterd is doing well on the road to recovery from a shoulder reconstruction. He is ticking every box on his modified training program. Midfielder Nathan Jones is also running well as he returns to fitness after suffering a back injury in round 22.
Early mover: Tough utility Colin Sylvia has barely put a foot wrong since beginning pre-season training. Others to stand out include Jamie Bennell, Addam Maric and Jack Grimes.
NAB Cup opener: February 11 v Adelaide and Port Adelaide at AAMI Stadium

NORTH MELBOURNE
Snapshot: A 20-day high-altitude camp in Park City, Utah has already been deemed a "resounding success" by coach Brad Scott, who hasn't let his players drop their intensity since their return to Melbourne. The most convincing signs have been last Friday's three-hour session in searing heat and this week's competitive 3.2km time trial won in the wet by recruit Cameron Richardson.
Medical room: Vice-captain Drew Petrie (foot) won't join in the main sessions until January, while Hamish McIntosh (achilles), Daniel Pratt (hip), Robbie Tarrant (hip), Aaron Black (groin) and Luke Delaney (groin) are on modified programs. Ed Lower (knee) had an arthroscope on Wednesday night.
Early mover: A leaner Aaron Edwards has found a new gear in the endurance and skills training, while Daniel Wells is a picture of health from 12 months ago, when he was recovering from osteitis pubis. Richardson has been the biggest surprise.
NAB Cup opener: February 20 v Geelong Cats and Western Bulldogs at Skilled Stadium

PORT ADELAIDE
Snapshot: New coach Matthew Primus has made his mark on pre-season training, putting more onus on the players to reach specific fitness goals. Fitness coach Cam Falloon has tried to tailor the training program to suit individual needs, but there was no escaping the gruelling VO2 max testing. No.14 draft pick Ben Jacobs has made a seamless transition to the AFL workload.
Medical room: The Power were dealt a massive blow last week with star onballer David Rodan suffering another knee injury and undergoing reconstructive surgery. Rodan and fellow knee victims Brett Ebert and Jacob Surjan will all be eased into full training in the new year. Forwards Cam Hitchcock and Daniel Stewart are both on modified programs after having post-season shoulder surgery.
Early mover: Injury-prone Robbie Gray and Hamish Hartlett have made strong starts to pre-season training, but Falloon says five-gamer Marlon Motlop is setting the pace. Motlop failed to play an AFL game last season because of injury, but the 20-year-old has set his sights on taking Nathan Krakouer's place at half-back.
NAB Cup opener: February 11 v Melbourne and Port Adelaide at AAMI Stadium

RICHMOND
Snapshot: The Tigers have been to the North Island of New Zealand for a training camp; they started in Auckland and worked their way to Wellington. Along the way they took in a ski resort - where they rode part-way up a mountain then climbed the rest of it - spent another day canoeing for five hours, and then another on a farm doing wood chopping, river crossing and log-tossing, among other things. They emerged with a clean bill of health.
Medical room: Coleman Medallist Jack Riewoldt has had finger surgery, but is recovering well and despite being in a brace is doing plenty of running. Gun midfielder Nathan Foley is still running well and although that's about all he's doing, is on track with his modified program after ankle surgery. Ben Griffiths (shoulder surgery) is avoiding the contact parts of training, but is progressing nicely.
Early movers: Rookie Pat Contin and ruckman Andrew Browne have both fined down from last season and are moving better for it.
NAB Cup opener: February 12 v Carlton and Collingwood at Etihad Stadium

ST KILDA
Snapshot: The replayed grand final meant St Kilda had a later than usual return to the training track. Pre-season started officially on December 1 while some older players will not return until the second week of the month.
Medical room: Michael Gardiner has chosen to play on after some indecision about his ageing body, particularly his troublesome left knee. He is one of the veterans who have been allowed a late start to training. Other than that it seems the Saints have a clean bill of health.
Early mover: It's hard to tell as the main squad only just got back on the track. After being delisted, Robert Eddy has been training with the group in the hope of earning a lifeline as a rookie. He is traditionally a good pre-season performer and will be one to watch.
NAB Cup opener: February 18 v Brisbane Lions and Essendon at Etihad Stadium

SYDNEY SWANS
Snapshot: The entire group, bar Tadhg Kennelly, is back in training after Adam Goodes and Kieren Jack resumed on November 29. Running has been a focus, with most of the group meeting benchmarks set by the fitness staff. Boxing, yoga and a trip to the dreaded Kurnell sand dunes has provided some variety in the Swans' schedule.
Medical room: Shane Mumford has undergone an arthroscope on the knee he injured in the semi-final against the Western Bulldogs and he is expected to resume running shortly. Mark Seaby is making an encouraging return from the broken ankle that ruined his 2010 season and he is back running at training.
Early mover: Nick Malceski is set to improve on his outstanding 2010 pre-season after slashing his 3km time-trial personal best, while new defender Matt Spangher has impressed with his enthusiasm, tackling the sand dunes on just his third day at the club.
NAB Cup opener: February 19 v Gold Coast and Greater Western Sydney at Blacktown Olympic Park

WEST COAST
Snapshot: The Eagles' first- and second-year players have completed a culture-building trip to Cambodia, but for those left behind there has been a big focus on improving skills. Polished midfield recruit Andrew Gaff has settled in well, standing out with his clean disposal on the track, while Blayne Wilson, who was overlooked in the NAB AFL Draft, is training with the club.
Medical room: Dean Cox has recently returned to the track after a long rest, but Daniel Kerr is working through his own program and has barely been sighted with the main group this pre-season. Rookie Lewis Broome is recovering from broken ribs suffered in a car crash.
Early mover: Gerrick Weedon still has some work to do in the time trials, but he has been outstanding on the track with his sharp hands and neat kicking. The 19-year-old is pushing for a forward line berth in 2011.
NAB Cup opener: February 13 v Hawthorn and Fremantle at Patersons Stadium

WESTERN BULLDOGS
Snapshot: The Dogs returned to Whitten Oval in the middle of last month. They're preparing for a seven-day adventure camp in New Zealand that will feature challenges designed to take players out of their comfort zone and work together as teams in an eight-hour race. Justin Sherman, Nathan Djerrkura and Patrick Veszpremi have settled in well while early draftees Mitch Wallis and Tom Liberatore have taken to full-time training like ducks to water.
Medical room: Brian Lake is the only long-term concern after having knee, hip and shoulder surgery and he'll be back running mid-January. Ryan Hargrave is in rehab following an operation to fuse a bone in his foot but will run before Christmas, as will Callan Ward and Adam Cooney. There are a few in rehab after shoulder surgery but most are already running.
Early mover: Following a first year to forget, high draft pick Christian Howard is putting in a strong pre-season. He hasn't missed a session and is going from strength to strength as he puts his hip complaint behind him.
NAB Cup opener: February 20 v Geelong Cats and North Melbourne at Skilled Stadium

The views in this article are those of the authors and not necessarily those of the clubs or the AFL.