Hannebery was out of his moon boot and back in running shoes as most of the Saints returned to training on Monday with a 3km time trial.

Last month the midfielder suffered a foot fracture at a backyard in Perth, with Hannebery saying the incident was as bizarre as it was frustrating.

"I won't say the exact word, but there were probably four or five profanities, said pretty regularly," he said.

"I was pretty flat there, probably for a week or so, but once you accept the reality of it all and you get told ... it shouldn't impact you too much, it takes the anxiety a bit and you can just focus on your recovery.

"I'm just rapt I'm out of my moon boot, which was pretty frustrating there for a couple of weeks."

Hannebery said he was going to be managed through to Christmas anyway before the foot injury.

He said a large step amid some backyard renovations, at the home of his sister and her fiance, was the culprit.

"I've got to make sure he gets that fixed because my sister did the same thing, where she didn't break her ankle but did a bad roll," Hannebery said.

"As I went to step over the balcony step and onto the asphalt, I did a fairly simple ankle roll and my weight shifted forward and straight away I felt a crack."

The 28-year-old only played five games last season in his first year at the Saints because of soft-tissue problems.

"I feel like I'm on top of that now," Hannebery said.

"I'm hopeful that post this little niggle, I can get a clear run and just help the whole side out."

There is plenty of excitement around the Saints, with new coach Brett Ratten in his first full season and several experienced players recruited through the trade period.

But Hannebery said the key will be how well they work in the next few months.

"I'm pretty firm of the belief that just because we might have seven, eight, nine new players in the team, it doesn't really guarantee us anything," he said.

"Nothing is won in November."

Former Port Adelaide defender Dougal Howard was lapped on the 400m track in Monday's time trial, but still ran under 12 minutes.

Fellow recruits Paddy Ryder, Brad Hill and Zak Jones were among those sitting out the fitness test.

Former Richmond forward Dan Butler was mid-pack as Ed Phillips won the time trial.

Australian Associated Press