Essendon players will return to the training track on Wednesday to resume pre-season training ahead of the 2015 season.

The players took part in a six-week training block prior to the Christmas and New Year period before taking a two-week break from official duties.

It is the first time the entire playing group for 2015 will be together following the completion of the national and rookie draft as well as the club’s high altitude camp in Boulder, Colorado.

Captain Jobe Watson, Michael Hibberd, Michael Hurley and Cale Hooker took part in the two-week camp in altered conditions prior to the break.

The players will continue to sweat it out in the Melbourne summer throughout January and February with just 88 days until their Round 1 clash against Sydney at ANZ Stadium.

It is also just 59 days until the first official pre-season match in the NAB Challenge, which will be against St Kilda in Morwell on March 7.

Other than the small group that attended an altitude camp, Coach James Hird is determined the team will have a ‘meat and potatoes’ style pre-season.

Prior to Christmas Hird praised the work ethic of the playing group to the first six week’s of training.

“Pre-season training has been outstanding so far this year and I could not be happier with where the squad is at,” Hird said in December.

“We have had a few little niggles and injuries but the majority of training has been excellent, the guys are completing their fitness tests at a higher level then ever before.

“I think we have a squad that is very capable of going a long way in September in 2015 from what we have seen already in pre-season.”