The Cats returned from their Christmas-New Year break on Wednesday.

On a day in which the weather in Geelong was fine and warm, the boys were put through their paces in a tough hit-out at Simonds Stadium.

The training load will be ramped up in the coming weeks, with just 44 days remaining until the Cats' first JLT Community Series game against Hawthorn in Launceston.

The clash against the Hawks will be played at the renamed University of Tasmania Stadium (formerly Aurora Stadium) on Friday, February 17, with the first bounce at 7.40pm.