WHILE several young pups were showing their renewed upper body strength on arrival from a recent pre-season trip to Arizona in the US, it was the old Dogs who showed plenty of muscle at the Western Bulldogs' training session at Whitten Oval yesterday.
Skipper Brad Johnson fitted the old adage that you can't keep a good dog down after a 2008 season in which he was criticised for his on-field performances while struggling with injuries.
Coach Rodney Eade, optimistic as all club officials are at this time of year, said Johnson was in for a big season after a flying start to his 2009 campaign.
"Brad Johnson just shows at his age, going on 33, that he's still got another two years in him at least," Eade said.
"I think on last year's form, people were critical of him. The injuries that he had weren't old man injuries … I think true to his courage he was able to play through that. I think with the pre-season he's having at the moment, he'll have a good year."
Eade gave particular credit to new conditioning coach Bill Davoren, who was a former international triathlon coach.
"This year's a bit of the mentality of maybe they know they can go another step and with Bill Davoren on board the players have responded very well to his program, which is a pretty tough program but it's been in a shorter space of time," Eade told the AFL's website.
"We didn't start until November 10 and I think the level of intensity we've had at training, I think the guys have been surprised how much they can push through that pain barrier and I think they've been really pleased with what they've done."
Eade told The Sunday Age that the hard-running Daniel Cross was "probably the best trainer that I've seen in my time in footy".
But it was a tier of young guns that could prove to be the big improvers for the Bulldogs as they aim to go one step further next season after a disappointing preliminary final performance against Geelong.
Callan Ward, taken at No. 19 in last year's AFL draft, has bulked up significantly as has a determined Andrejs Everitt.
As expected, Shaun Higgins, Jason Akermanis and Cross were the bolters in several short sprints on the wet surface.
"I think there's two areas there. I think the guys that haven't played many games — Ward, (Sam) Reid, Jarrad Grant — we'd like these players to be able to step up and then there's the players who are in their mid-20s that need to step up," he said.
Of the wounded Dogs, Brian Lake, who had a hip operation, is in doubt for the NAB Cup and is expected to resume full training in February.
Robert Murphy will begin running in January and is expected to be right for round one, and Brownlow medallist Adam Cooney, who was limited to light skills, is expected to resume full training after the Christmas break.
Eade said there was a great expectation on the group that "mentally" it can take it to another level next season.
"I think last year, they knew that they were a good side and that last six or seven games of the year wasn't a true reflection of where they're at," the Western Bulldogs coach said.
"This year, there's a bit of mentality that maybe they know they can go another step.
"I think the level of intensity that they've been training, I think the guys would be surprised of how much they can push through that pain barrier."
■ Hawthorn recruiting manager Chris Pelchen has flagged another Hawks' premiership within the next four years as the club enters phase two of his successful model.
Pelchen told The Sunday Age that Hawthorn having started a premiership model at the beginning of coach Alastair Clarkson's tenure in 2005 — with the Hawks celebrating their 10th flag in 2008 — the team was still in great shape to challenge for another in any one of the next four seasons.
"It (winning the 2008 premiership) hasn't (changed) our clear direction on what we wanted to do between 2009 and 2010 when the original models were put in place," Pelchen said. .