Collingwood and Melbourne veterans returned to pre-season training ahead of schedule on Monday, joining their younger teammates to kickstart their preparations for the 2025 season.
The Demons' morning session at Gosch's Paddock featured the club's junior ranks as well as several senior figures, with Jack Viney, Tom McDonald, Harrison Petty, Marty Hore and Kade Chandler all taking part.
The session consisted of a mix of skills drills and running as coach Simon Goodwin watched on alongside returning veteran Nathan Jones and fellow coaching arrival Nathan Bassett.
Viney and fourth-year defender Judd McVee were a constant presence around the ball, with second-year wingman Caleb Windsor also offering plenty of run with contest and running drills.
Young midfielder Taj Woewodin - who donned the departed Lachie Hunter's No.12 jumper - flexed his increased physicality on multiple occasions - even against Viney - as the father-son youngster prepares to reach new heights in 2025.
Melbourne's tall forward mix will again be an area of intrigue next year, with McDonald and Petty accompanied by young talls Jacob van Rooyen, Daniel Turner and Matthew Jefferson.
Turner, too, looks to have added size as he enters a pre-season that will likely see him spend his entire time in attack after swapping between both arcs in recent years.
Down the road at Olympic Park, Collingwood's first-to-fourth-year contingent returned to training for their first hitout of the pre-season.
Among the group were premiership players Brayden Maynard, Tom Mitchell, Billy Frampton and Mason Cox, while the recently delisted Ash Johnson was another senior player present.
Several early training notes may hint at positional changes or developing roles for a couple of veteran Magpies, with Mitchell working with Collingwood's crop of young defenders for a large portion of the session.
The Brownlow Medal winner - who battled both injury and form in 2024 - was situated with emerging backmen Tew Jiath, Jakob Ryan, Wil Parker and Maynard as the quintet worked on their kicking and target-hitting.
Johnson, who is set to be selected by the Magpies at this month's Rookie Draft, trained with Cox and Collingwood's other ruckmen as he potentially looks to add a new string to his bow next year following a three-game season.
The athletic forward worked on his ruck craft and aerial abilities with Cox and uncapped pair Iliro Smit and Oscar Steene, with former Collingwood tall Josh Fraser set to play a key part in the club's ruck stocks over the next 12 months following a role change - not continuing as the club's VFL coach.
Johnson wasn't the only forward likely looking at developing a new part of his game, with young tall Reef McInnes positioned with the tall defenders during Monday's drills.
The recently re-signed NGA product was swung between attack and defence at VFL level this year and could be in line for a full-time stint in Craig McRae's rearguard ahead of his fifth year with the club.
New Magpies recruit Harry Perryman pulled on the black and white for his first session at his new club after crossing from GWS last month, with trade addition Dan Houston and young sensation Nick Daicos among those not present.