GWS veteran Josh Kelly will have surgery on his hip next week, while Jesse Hogan and Brent Daniels will look to ramp up their preparations after recent operations.
Kelly is tipped to miss the majority of the 2026 season, with the club confirming he'll undergo hip resurfacing surgery to solve the lingering problem.
The 30-year-old played an almost career-low 15 games last season, and missed a large chunk of the back half of the year, although he returned brilliantly for the elimination final loss to Hawthorn.
"To put it in simple terms, he's having a resurfacing procedure done to his right hip. It involves some prosthesis components that we've been deciphering about what the right approach is," GWS head of medical services Andrew Ryan said.
"It's a big ordeal for him because it's a bit of an unprecedented area, as no AFL player that is currently playing has ever had this procedure.
"His surgery is scheduled for next week, and at a minimum, it'll be six months before he can run, so there'll be a lot of rehab that'll be going into that integration process.
"Then we get to May/June, and then we start a more land-based conditioning program and then see what the timeframe is at from there. It's at a point where we have all the ducks in a row; it's just a matter of it being executed next week, and then the rehab will start."
Hogan (foot) and Daniels (abdomen) both underwent off-season surgery to correct their body issues.
The 2024 Coleman Medallist had "positive" surgery and will be in the rehab group up until Christmas, with the hope he'll return to full training in the new year. The same goes for Daniels.
"He's had a significant surgery around that abdomen and groin area, and he's in that recovery phase at the moment," Ryan said of the small forward.
"A bit like Jesse, there's a bit of a strength rebuilding phase leading into Christmas with some conditioning that will come. Then, in the new year, we will build up his training accordingly."
A trifecta of GWS youngsters - Toby McMullin, Jack Ough and Conor Stone - are also treading cautiously toward full training.
McMullin had "a repair of his syndesmosis and ankle injury" and should be at maximum capacity in the new year.
Ough had successful shoulder surgery and will return alongside the rest of the first-to-fourth-year players on Monday, November 24.
Stone had procedures on his navicular fracture as well as his calves to help ease the tension, but will be on a modified plan through January.
ACL victims Darcy Jones and Nathan Wardius are also aligned with the club's plan.
"Nath has almost approached the first three-month mark, and he's going well. And then Darcy Jones is a few weeks behind him, but he's going to plan, it's early days for him," Ryan said.
"There's a lot of rehab for those guys, but they are fulfilling all expectations that they should be at this time."
