Mark Baguley has enjoyed an interruption-free pre-season after a knee injury ruled the important Essendon defender out of the second half of 2016.

The reliable backman played 10 of the first 11 games of last season before undergoing surgery on a torn piece of cartilage in his knee.

Baguley had carried the problem for several weeks before the decision was made to cut short his campaign and make sure he was fit for 2017.

That plan seems to have paid off, with the 29-year-old completing all of the pre-season so far and setting himself for a smooth return to senior action for the Bombers. 

"I've had a pretty good pre-season and I haven't missed a session. The strength and conditioning staff set out a program for me and targets for me that I need to reach each week, and I have had no setbacks yet so training's going well," Baguley told AFL.com.au.

At the time of Baguley's mid-season surgery to correct the flare-up of an old problem, Essendon remained hopeful of having the tough and courageous back pocket return for the latter stages of the year.

But Baguley, who had played at least 21 games in his previous three years with the Bombers, knew his season was over.

"It was pretty disappointing. I've been pretty lucky with injury and haven't missed much footy and to know I wasn't going to be playing the last three months of the season was tough," he said.

"The team was slowly improving and it was good to watch football from a different perspective. I sat in the coaches' box a little bit and helped out with coaching on game-day and it was just good for a different perspective.

"We had a few bad losses in the middle of the year but it was good to see how players react when the team's going badly like that and you see blokes stand up and never give up and I like seeing those types of players."

Baguley has played 82 games for the Bombers since being drafted as a mature-ager from VFL club Frankston, and quickly settling into a defensive role against some of the competition's most dangerous small forwards.

Before his injury last season, Baguley switched roles, with Essendon coach John Worsfold pushing him forward to add some defensive pressure around goal.

Baguley liked the experience and managed to kick his first goal since 2013, but isn't expecting to get another taste of it near goal in 2017 with Essendon's full squad back at the club.

"I really enjoyed it. I've obviously played a lot of footy deep in the backline and I enjoyed the change up and seeing the game from a different perspective," he said.

"It's a bit more rewarding up there and a bit more creative, you don't get punished for your errors all the time. I really enjoyed it, but I'm pretty sure I'll be playing in the backline this year."

The return of Essendon's senior group of players, as well as the improvement in youngsters last year and another batch of talented draftees, has made for plenty of optimism around the club's hopes for next season.

Baguley said the different feeling around the club had been palpable since the senior group re-joined pre-season training with the younger squad of Bombers.

"We've had the two groups come back together finally after the guys were banned last year and it's been really good and there's a really upbeat feel around the club," Baguley said.

"It's been good to be a football club with no more crap. We can just concentrate on football now and it's all behind us. We'll just be judged on our football this year and nothing else."