A little like an intruder awaiting entry into the Big Brother house, the West Coast Eagles trained on the periphery of Metricon Stadium on the Gold Coast tonight.

In tune with the weather of the day, the Eagles completed a 90-minute session on Metricon Oval two, adjacent to the major AFL stadium in this part of the world, the glare of the spotlights of match day venue providing a poignant backdrop.

As their opponents for Saturday night’s encounter – the Gold Coast Suns – went through their preparations simultaneously it was impossible to ignore the message that AFL football is back.

After a three month hiatus between round one and this imminent round two encounter, the main game of Australian sport is ready to resume.

After starting the session in still, dry conditions the heavens opened up almost precisely at the moment when the team moved into ball work.

As is usually the case, players with superior skills excelled in the going with the likes of Luke Shuey, Tim Kelly, Andrew Gaff, Lewis Jetta and Liam Ryan excelling. One gather on the half-volley by Ryan was sublime.

The confidence of Brendon Ah Chee also continues to grow and he kicked a clever goal with virtually no daylight splitting the goal posts in the most testing of conditions.

Now the players begin the process of getting their bodies right as they lock onto Saturday’s match. A personal recovery session could be on the agenda, perhaps just a light walk, but there is nothing formal organised in a training sense tomorrow.

For the match committee it will be more intense as Adam Simpson and his confidantes ponder the starting line-up for the second match of this truncated 2020 season.