Western Bulldogs forward Cody Weightman is looking increasingly like a long shot to play in the opening round as he recovers from a string of knee operations.
Although Weightman hasn't been officially ruled out, a return beyond Round 4 looms as the most likely scenario as his comeback drags on.
Weightman was restricted to stationary drills at Whitten Oval on Monday as the rehab group was put through a running session.
He will have to take several significant steps before being considered for AFL selection and the Dogs will take an ultra-cautious approach as the season approaches.
Weightman's entire 2025 season was derailed by a string of knee issues - requiring surgery to fix a damaged knee cap and then a series of debilitating complications.
The star forward was on the sidelines as the Dogs went through four shortened quarters of match sim, complete with AFL umpires.
All-Australian Ed Richards didn't take part in the scratch match, instead in rehab and running laps after undergoing post-season shoulder surgery.
Ryley Sanders, a pre-Christmas hamstring victim, is still not in the main group and joined Richards in the running session.
Coach Luke Beveridge didn't pull too many surprises with his positional set-up in a willing scratch match.
The Bulldogs' eagerness to push Joel Freijah into an already stacked midfield stood out, and Adam Treloar, who has had a wretched run with soft tissue injuries, was impressive in the first half before being given a spell.
