The 2016 grand final was barely two months ago but the Western Bulldogs are moving on.
Yet their tilt at back-to-back flags isn't about getting a premiership for captain Bob Murphy, says fellow veteran Matthew Boyd.
Murphy, 34, was one of several heartbreak stories on the perimeter of the Dogs' against-the-odds triumph this year, missing most of the 2016 because of a season-ending knee injury against Hawthorn in round three.
But Boyd said that while he was looking forward to Murphy's return, there was much more to the club's 2017 campaign than winning a flag for the much-loved defender.
"He's obviously a great leader of our footy club and we'd love to go again for him," Boyd said on Monday.
"But it's not just about Bob, and he'd say that himself – it's about this footy club."
Boyd said there was little risk of a premiership hangover, with the Dogs' motivation as strong as ever.
"With professional athletes, footballers, it's never enough and you're never satisfied," Boyd said.
"We definitely have that mindset that we want to go again, we want to do it better and we'll be working our butts off to make that happen."
The full Dogs squad hit the track at the Whitten Oval for the first time in the 2017 pre-season on Monday morning, as they took their first steps towards defending their crown.
Having ended their 62-year premiership drought, the Dogs have immense talent in the wings to add to the side that beat Sydney in the decider.
In addition to Murphy, forward Stewart Crameri will again be in the mix for selection, as will Travis Cloke, who was traded from Collingwood in October. Key defender Marcus Adams was unavailable for selection in the grand final because of a foot issue, while Matt Suckling and Lin Jong were both overlooked having been hampered by injuries during the finals.
Mitch Wallis and Jack Redpath – who both suffered serious injuries in July – will both likely become available during the season.
That's in addition to a host of fringe players who helped the Dogs' VFL side Footscray win the premiership this year.
Boyd said the likely selection squeeze would benefit the club.
"It adds competition for spots and raises the standards of training and of performance. It's a good position for the coaches to be in and us as a footy club," he said.
Boyd – who earned his third All-Australian selection this year – signed a one-year deal with the Dogs in October.
The backman laughed off talk about whether 2017 would be his final season, hinting that it was way too early to think about the topic.
"I want to try to continue that journey as long as I possibly can. I'm just going to enjoy the time that I have. We have a very finite time in footy and you've got to try to make the most of those opportunities," he said.
"I feel like I've been in bonus time for a couple of years. I'm very lucky and blessed to have been a part of our first premiership in 62 years. But that's last year and now we're looking into 2017."
Boyd also dismissed the notion that there was extra pressure on the Dogs that came with having the tag as reigning premiers.
"We haven't really felt pressure throughout the journey that we've been on. That's the thing about this group – we'll just take it in our stride and we'll get to work," he said.
"We'll look at ways we can improve and things we didn't quite do the way we would've liked to do it. It's not pressure, it's just expectation."
