WESTERN Bulldogs star Bailey Smith has returned to training just a week after taking leave from the club.

The Bulldogs have posted a photo of Smith at training on Wednesday after last week giving him time away from the club for personal reasons.

Smith has played all 67 games for the Bulldogs since making his debut in 2019 and is one of the most popular figures in the AFL, with a huge following on social media.

At the start of the 2021 season, the 21-year-old opened up to AFL.com.au's chief football correspondent Damian Barrett about his struggles with mental health, and he urged the AFL industry to open itself further to discussing and dealing with the issue.

In a raw and powerful interview, the gun midfielder - who has a cult following on Instagram and a rock star image - said "you can never judge a book by its cover".

"There was actually a time where (former player Dale Morris) looked after me - I broke down at the club, everyone had left one night, and I was just struggling, this was in my first year, when it all gets too much for you," Smith told Barrett.

Smith enjoyed an outstanding 2021 finals series as the Bulldogs reached the Grand Final, falling short against Melbourne.

Days later, a man made a complaint to police after an alleged physical altercation with Smith outside a Gold Coast bar.

No charges were laid by police and the Bulldogs took no further action.