THE COMPETITIVE juices were well and truly flowing when the Western Bulldogs were pitted against each other in a team triathlon on Thursday at Victoria University.

The players were divided into three teams of 15 and put through two blocks of training with 15 minute cycling, swimming and running legs.

The activity was structured so every Bulldog could participate, including the rehab group, with the players required to complete at least four of the six legs and each team to field 10 individuals in every challenge.

Veteran Jason Akermanis led from the front and completed every leg, midfielder Liam Picken - who is on the mend after a shoulder reconstruction - ran well, while Barry Hall put in some solid bike work.

Young beanpole Ayce Cordy was the only player absent from the session as he was sitting a university exam.

Midfielder Matthew Boyd said the players grew more and more determined to claim the $1000 prize for the winning team as the activity wore on.

"It was hard work but it was a bit of fun and something different," he said.

"The boys say it's just a training session but deep down inside, they really wanted to win."

He also said the club's head of physical performance Bill Davoren - who used to coach triathlon at elite level - had been excellent in keeping the Dogs' pre-season program fresh and interesting.

"You can't run every day and you can't just have footy every day. You get starved a little bit of footy in this period; they get the footies out later and you're really ready to go," he said.

"Being able to do a cross training session at such high intensity has been beneficial to the body but the change up is great for the mind as well."

Davoren said he was more than pleased with the condition the players would take into the Christmas break.

"The aim of the triathlon was to amass the most distance as a team as you possibly can over 90 minutes, and we'll work out who won this afternoon," he said.

"It was more about them having a bit of fun and working into Christmas. It's been a tough six weeks but it's given them a good base.

"We've got a big training block coming back after Christmas and we'll take it up another notch."