Fremantle say their lack of injuries luck over the pre-season has boosted the club's chances of success in 2012 as they adapt to a new game plan.
The Dockers suffered numerous problems during the 2011 pre-season under previous leader Mark Harvey, with several players missing vital preparation time, which led to more serious issues later in the year.
A squad wrecked by injuries and struggling with a lack of fitness finished well below expectations in 11th spot, 10 points outside the top eight after losing their last seven games, but the signs are already much better for 2012.
The bulk of the playing group completed a gruelling two-and-a-half hour session in the Perth heat on Monday, which featured a heavy focus on skills, clearances and stoppages before a series of time trials.
David Mundy, who battled a high ankle sprain for much of last season, and former first-round draft pick Anthony Morabito - still on the road to recovery from a knee reconstruction in late 2010 - were the notable absentees from the session.
Aaron Sandilands, Matthew Pavlich, Garrick Ibbotson and Tendai Mzungu all spent time away from the main group, but coach Ross Lyon had the rest of the core of his group available throughout.
Key defender Alex Silvagni said having so much of the squad involved throughout the pre-season had helped Fremantle adapt to Lyon's style and develop much-needed fitness.
"I think there are plenty of guys travelling well," he said.
"It's imperative that we get as many guys on the track as possible. I think we're travelling really well and it's really good to have so many players on the track."
Silvagni is one of many Dockers to benefit from being available for a full pre-season, after spending much of last year on the sidelines with infections in his groin and abdomen.
"I'm running a bit more and the distances I'm covering are a lot higher than in previous seasons," the 24-year-old said.
"Being out doing the drills you really notice fitness-wise when you have a limited pre-season, so it's just little things like that which make it easier."
"It's such a mental edge because being held back when all you want to do is go can be tough so it's great to be running around with the guys."
Rookie Sam Menegola dominated the series of repeated runs during training while Stephen Hill also performed well, with John Anthony, Zac Dawson and Michael Johnson among those struggling to keep up.