ESSENDON has put an injury-ruined season behind them and predicts an across-the-board lift in form in 2009.

The Bombers were decimated by a raft of serious injuries which contributed to their 12th-place finish this year.

A knee injury kept star forward Scott Lucas to nine games, while other regulars including Mark McVeigh, Jason Winderlich and Alwyn Davey also missed large chunks of the season.

But as the squad returned to training on Friday, coach Matthew Knights said supporters could expect a different team next year with the gradual return of key players.

"I would expect that we would definitely have improvement next year in a number of areas of our game," Knights said.

"In putting a specific on what parts, we're obviously working through that at the moment with the coaching group and the players.

"But you would expect the players to improve and our game style to develop.

"And we will continue to put games through young players who deserve them so we can continue to expand on our experience."

Knights said after 2008's woes, the club would try to do everything it could to avoid a repeat of the issue – which generated eight losses from rounds four to 11 and four to finish the season.

"We can only make sure that in every department and everywhere we are doing things to the maximum of professionalism," he said.

"Whether it's training or recovery or diet we have to do everything right and come game day you just have to let the boys rip.

"The guys that we've got who are training have all been fine and their attitude's been first-class ... the guys who are on graded rehabs, we've just got to take them a bit more slowly and more cautiously."