West Coast’s players will enjoy the chance to rest and recover during their upcoming four-day break after sweating through a gruelling training session on Friday.

As the mercury climbed towards the forecast high of 36 degrees, the Eagles were pushed hard knowing that when they return to action there will be little more than three weeks to prepare for competitive matches.

There was barely any respite as West Coast’s coaching and conditioning staff devised a session which combined football skills and craft with extensive running in-built.

The two-and-a-half-hour session was nothing that experienced campaigners like Josh Kennedy, Shannon Hurn, Jeremy McGovern, Jamie Cripps, Nic Naitanui and Brad Sheppard haven’t seen before.

But for recent draftees Luke Edwards, Isiah Winder and Zane Trew it was another step on their journey towards building AFL-ready bodies and resilience for the road ahead.

Pleasingly, that trio all had their moments during brief match simulation work and looked anything but out of place at the level.

Edwards and Trew were renowned in their junior careers for their ability to get their hands dirty around the ball and both were in the thick of it at stoppages.

Edwards’ competitive streak shone as he scrapped for the footy in dispute at ground level, while Trew’s spin out of trouble away from quality opposition at a centre bounce and precise delivery inside 50 impressed onlookers.

Winder also appears a likely type, capable of weaving in and out of traffic and finding a teammate in a better position.

The usual suspects Liam Duggan and Dom Sheed were typically prolific and half-back Jackson Nelson’s scything runs broke play open, while Alex Witherden’s elite foot skills were a feature throughout.

Trim-looking small forward Jamaine Jones had some nice moments in attack and will press his claims for an AAMI Community Series berth alongside tireless Jamie Cripps and star Liam Ryan, who wreaked havoc roaming up the field.

Scarily for opposition defenders, it appears the fourth-year Eagle still has plenty of room to improve after an All Australian year featuring 26 goals from 18 games.

While Naitanui looks in tremendous condition fresh off his maiden John Worsfold Medal win, the battle to support the explosive big man in the ruck is heating up.

Premiership tall Nathan Vardy is enjoying a clear run at training after an injury-marred season and, with up-and-comers Bailey Williams and Callum Jamieson eager to press their claims, there was no quarter asked or given in the clinches.