Waking up at dawn in readiness for a run and kick at a dewy Fremantle Oval was not how Brad Sheppard envisaged his training regime following round one this year.

Nor, for that matter, did he expect those morning sessions with early-rising champion forward Josh Kennedy to be the only way he could work up a sweat with a teammate.

But during the COVID-19-enforced AFL shutdown, the rhythms footballers had long been accustomed to were thrown out the window.

Amid doubts whether the season would restart and – if it did – exactly how it would take shape, some handled the uncertainty better than others.

Consummate professionals, Sheppard and Kennedy never lacked motivation.

Living by the motto ‘win the morning, win the day’ they maintained elite standards, pushing each other hard while nobody was watching.

When hostilities did eventually resume after an 11-week hiatus, it came as little surprise that the star Eagles were quickly back to their brilliant best.

Sheppard, in particular, was outstanding early in the face of some serious adversity  as West Coast struggled through three heavy losses after relocating to Queensland to get the season back underway.

Driven to achieve the ultimate goal, the ever- reliable defender’s form never wavered in a season when he received due all-Australian recognition for the first time, and secured third place in the John Worsfold Medal count for the second year running.

“That COVID layoff, personally I saw it as an opportunity to get better as a footballer,” Sheppard said.

“I trained with JK pretty hard at Fremantle Oval, so as much as I wanted to be playing AFL footy I thought that first game from the restart ‘I gave myself every opportunity to perform well’, because I was ready to go.

“We thought ‘let’s train hard, let’s do everything like we’re going to play’ and it paid off.”

It has been well documented that Sheppard’s football journey hasn’t always been an easy one.

Expectations attached to being a high draft pick (No.7 in 2009) are impossible to avoid, and the East Fremantle product took some time to become fully established in the side.

But from round one, 2015 he started a remarkable run that has seen him sidelined for just two games – heartbreakingly, a preliminary final and victorious Grand Final – from a possible 137 since.

In that time, Sheppard has  never  missed  the top 10 of the club champion award and developed into one of the League’s most consistent players.

His magnet is among the first placed on the board each week by the match committee, who can count on him to handcuff the opposition’s most dangerous forward.

“The longer my career has gone I just want to be a consistent AFL player, and my good and bad games I don’t want it to be a huge gap - it’s what I pride myself on,” Sheppard said.

“Being a senior player that’s what I’ve got to do.

“I’ve been at the other end where you’re inconsistent and trying to find your feet at AFL level, now I’m closing in on 200 games (196).

“What is expected of me is for my output to be at a high level and I felt like this year I did that.”

While the individual accolades have been  overdue  for  Sheppard,  his sights are fixed on one thing only: a premiership.

Now aged 29 and about to enter his 12th season, the 2020 Chris Mainwaring medallist is keen to fast track those around him, for their benefit and the team’s.

“This year more than any year I’ve tried to help out the younger backs coming through – (Tom) Cole, (Jackson) Nelson, (Liam) Duggan, (Josh)  Rotham – just  to pass on experiences, pass on how I defend and if I can help them in any way, understanding they’re  going  to  be a big part of the future of the footy club,” he said.

“I think by helping them it’s increasing my enjoyment of footy because you’re not just thinking about yourself.

“You’re thinking about others and then when you put time and effort in and see the way they’re performing as well it’s satisfying.

“I remember when I was a young kid, you had such strong leaders around the club and experienced players and they always gave me a hand trying to teach me the game and what to expect.

“I think it’s part of being a West Coast player. It’s part of the journey and your progression as a player to give back.

“I had a lot of conversations with ‘Pridda’ (Matt Priddis). I know he was a midfielder, but just about the discipline and what it took to succeed.

“Nothing is given, nothing is easy. You’ve got to work for it. My work ethic probably stemmed from him.

“Looking at the backline, Glassy (Darren Glass), (Beau) Waters and (Sam) Butler playing those roles as well, so just learning off them.

“Those first years of my career to learn the craft of defending, learning how to play one-on-one, has definitely helped me throughout my career.”

As Sheppard notes, in football very little is guaranteed, and certainly not the holy grail of a flag.

Motivation, talent, belief, timing and a slice of luck all contribute to success.

One thing for sure is that Sheppard will not leave the game wondering if he could have done more, and he has no doubt what West Coast’s current group is capable of.

“Our best is very good. We’ve just got to find that level consistently,” he said.

“The growth in our younger players this year will definitely benefit us going forward. There’s a couple of senior boys towards the twilight, but we’ve got a pretty healthy list.

“If everyone is up and firing we will be right.”