Western Bulldogs coach Rodney Eade says a spot on the club's rookie list is open for veteran forward Mitch Hahn if he wants it.

The 29-year-old was recently delisted by the club, after playing 181 senior games over 11 seasons.

But Hahn was back training at Whitten Oval on Tuesday and Eade said the bullocking forward was weighing up whether to rejoin the club through the December 7 rookie draft.

The coach said Hahn had aspirations to move into coaching, but also believed he still had something to offer as an AFL player, so could potentially combine both to an extent on the rookie list.

"We think that would give us a bit of coverage in the forward line as well," Eade said.

"But Mitch is interested in coaching.

"He's done a good job (coaching) around different parts of the local community.

"So (the Bulldogs' VFL affiliate) Williamstown are obviously keen as well that maybe he can add a bit of coaching experience there at the same time."

But Eade said if Hahn did take up the offer, playing would have to be his main focus.

"What percentage would be coaching, we'd have to work out, probably 10-15 per cent," Eade said.

"But at least he'd work out how our match committee works and obviously playing at Williamstown he'd be able to do some forward line coaching, etc.

"But the main thing would be his fitness and form, if he's required as a player."

The Dogs also have ex-Sydney player Ed Barlow and ex-Melbourne rookie-lister Danny Hughes training with them, with an eye to the rookie draft.

But several senior players are yet to train.

Adam Cooney, coming off a hamstring injury which sidelined him for the finals, and also knee surgery, is expected to be running within the next fortnight, as are Callan Ward and Ryan Hargrave, also currently in rehabilitation.

But star fullback Brian Lake is not expected to resume running until mid-January, after playing with badly torn knee cartilage during the finals.

"Brian's a little bit further back," Eade said.

"He had the knee that he carried for the last four weeks (of the season) and it was a bit worse than we thought at the time and then he's had a hip operation three weeks ago."

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