ESSENDON'S returning players will be expected to take part in a normal pre-season program despite their unprecedented layoff from the game serving anti-doping bans.
Nine of the Bombers' suspended players were able to return to the club on Wednesday for medical checks and some training purposes two months before their bans officially end on November 13.
David Myers, Dyson Heppell and Heath Hocking were the only three to appear at Tullamarine on Wednesday, with appointments lined up for all players at Essendon by the end of next week.
Jobe Watson, should he decide to play on next year, can return next week as his ban lasts a week longer than his teammates due to his appearance in the International Rules Series last year.
The players have decided to continue to train under former Essendon assistant Sean Wellman and ex-Collingwood fitness boss David Buttifant until the end of September before spending October on a break.
They will then come back to the club in early November and get into a more structured training block.
"When the young players come back on November 7, we'll invite these guys to participate in part of that training program over the first two weeks," Essendon football manager Rob Kerr told AFL.com.au.
"It won't be all of it but part of it so that will give them a little bit of a head start on the main group, who are due back two weeks after that.
"We won't be asking them to participate in the full program that the first-to-fourth year players are doing, but we'll ask them to be involved in part of it.
"It gives them an opportunity, particularly for the first-year players, to work with those guys and get a little bit of a head start in terms of the pre-season and reintegrating into the full program."
Michael Hurley, Cale Hooker, Travis Colyer, Tom Bellchambers, Ben Howlett, Brent Stanton, Heppell, Hocking and Myers have all recommitted to returning to the Bombers for next season, with the club waiting on Watson to make a call on his future.
The reintegration process has been carefully planned for the group but the club expects them to partake in a full pre-season without needing to be nursed through stages to avoid being worn down by the start of the home and away year.
They are also likely to spend an enhanced period learning new coach John Worsfold's game-plan after just three months under him before their bans in January this year.
"Once we get back into it I don't think there'll be a massive difference," Kerr said.
"The idea of the first couple of weeks is just so they can get back into some activity with bigger numbers and they've probably got a bit more to learn in terms of John's game-plan and game style than they would have otherwise.
"Everyone else has had a year under it and they only had the introductory piece so that gives the coaches a bit of a head start working with that group and familiarising them with the way John wants to play."
The Bombers still need to adhere closely to WADA rules while the players serve out their bans, which means they aren't able to participate in club directed media, marketing or promotional activities until mid-November.
