FOOTBALL cliche holds that it will be the hunted and not the hunter in season 2009: try telling that to the Hawthorn Football Club.

Yesterday, the AFL premier began pre-season training — with Geelong the last of the 16 clubs to do so today — knowing it will enter 2009 with a target on its back but keen to maintain the snarling attack that took the club to September glory.

"If we have that attitude — that we are the hunted — then we will probably get beaten a fair bit," captain Sam Mitchell said afterwards. "If teams come after us and we are just waiting for them then we will probably lose more games than we win next season.

"We've got to make sure that every time we play and every time we train that we are still going after the opposition."

Mitchell said all involved in the club were keen to move on from premiership party mode. "We might have to talk about it for the next couple of weeks, but it is something we want to shelve as much as possible."

He said all players returned in good condition — time trials were held on Monday and most performed as expected.

The entire group trained yesterday — including Trent Croad — still in a moon boot from post-grand final foot surgery. Croad could barely walk, but still he knelt down for handballing drills.

"There's 22 blokes coming back that are premiership players, but the other guys have got that burning desire," Mitchell said. "We've got 30-35 players who could have played on that last Saturday in September if injury or form had gone another way. If you think you are going OK because you played in it last year, you are probably going to get passed by someone who didn't."

The Hawk skipper nominated Tom Murphy and ruckman Simon Taylor — who narrowly missed grand final selection — as potential big improvers, along with former rookie Cameron Stokes.

Beau Muston remains an enticing proposition for Hawk fans despite two knee reconstructions. The 21-year-old trained without restriction yesterday and Mitchell said the talented youngster had been a vocal contributor. Beau Dowler and young forward Mitch Thorpe also impressed, leaving little doubt that there will be competition for places next season.

"A lot of teams win one premiership and don't win another one on what you'd call their window," Mitchell said. "Our window is still way open and we have got a lot of improvement to come."

While the players enjoyed their increasingly short off-season, key football department staff, including coach Alastair Clarkson, have been globetrotting on a two-week study tour that they say has provided them with new tactical and player-management ideas to keep them ahead of the AFL pack.

The trip included time spent at Dutch soccer clubs, English Premier League outfit Bolton Wanderers, rugby club Saracens and the French Institute of Sport.