Pre-season is back in full swing for the Western Bulldogs, with the AFL squad returning to VU Whitten Oval for their first full session of 2021 on Wednesday.

First-to-fourth year players – plus this year’s draftees – made their return prior to Christmas, with the remainder of the senior players officially back on deck today.

The footballs were out in force. Covid protocols saw players need to train in groups of 10. A beep-test style running test was done by all players returning – besides a group of players who completed this as part of their pre-Christmas training block.

Young gun Bailey Smith set the pace as the last man standing in the running test, with teammate Hayden Crozier acknowledging the work he’d put in over the off-season.

“You can tell by his Instagram he’s in fair nick,” Crozier told media following the session.

“I think Bailey will take his game to the next level this year.

“He’s someone who works extremely hard and we’ve got full confidence in him to come back and play some really good footy, which he has done in his first two years.”

Emerging ruckman Tim English also made an impression.

“He talks about it every second of the day, any time he puts on any weight,” Crozier said.

“Timmy’s in the same boat as Bailey, they’re extremely hard workers. Timmy was in WA for most of the break and I’m sure he was working hard in the gym.

“He’s obviously looking bigger and stronger – and his golf game’s getting better too, so he’s pretty happy with where he is at the moment.”

Crozier said after a longer-than-usual break it was just good to be back at it.

“I’ve done a little bit in the break which has been good, but I’ve been raring to go for the last couple of weeks to get back and stuck into it,” he said.

“It’s been a long break and a different break to what we’ve been used to.

“The boys have come back in great nick and we’re raring to go for 2021.”