Essendon defender Mark Baguley has hit the training track hard after fully recovering from the knee injury that sidelined him for the second half of the 2016 season.
In the first half of the year, Baguley was an integral part of a Bombers backline severely depleted due to year-long doping bans dished out to many of the club's senior players.
![Baguley, integral to the Dons' defence in early 2016, tackles Saint Maverick Weller in round nine.](/web/20170111202525im_/http://www.theage.com.au/content/dam/images/g/p/1/4/0/4/image.related.articleLeadwide.620x349.gth3mi.png/1482455121316.jpg)
But his season was derailed in June when he underwent knee surgery due to a serious recurrence of an old cartilage injury which caused significant swelling to the joint.
The interim vice-captain played his last game in round 11 but the reliable 29-year-old hasn't missed a beat this pre-season.
![A knee cartilage problem grounded Baguley from round 11.](/web/20170111202525im_/http://www.theage.com.au/content/dam/images/g/p/1/4/0/g/image.related.articleLeadwide.620x349.gth3mi.png/1482455121316.jpg)
"The body's going well. I did a fair bit of running in the off-season, stuck to my program and haven't missed a session so far, so (I'm) going well," he told the club's website.
"I'm in full training so I do the Monday-Friday skill session and just a bit less on the Wednesday."
Baguley said the silver lining to the injury was that it freshened him up mentally.
"I was really excited to get back to training having missed a lot of footy, probably the first time in my career that I've missed that much footy," he said.
"So I'm looking forward to this season and hopefully get a good pre-season in and start the season well."
Baguley only played 10 matches in 2016 – his lowest tally since 2012 (seven) when he made his AFL debut in Round 16.
The Frankston product was excited by the depth in Essendon's back half in 2017 with the likes of Michael Hurley and Cale Hooker returning to the fold.
"Good senior players, James Kelly re-signed and the younger draftees look like they're going to play in defence, (No.1 pick Andrew) McGrath looks like he's really good on the track and (No.22 pick) Jordan (Ridley) is good as well," he said.
"(McGrath) is the No.1 draft pick for a reason, he's talented in every area of the game, he looks really classy with the ball and he's only going to get better and better as he trains more with the main group."
Baguley has played 82 games since being selected as a mature-age recruit in the 2012 rookie draft.