The former Melbourne captain did not play a match this season after a second operation on his navicular bone in October last year, when he was close to joining Richmond.

Trengove, contracted for next season, says he has carefully intensified his training and has resumed running, but remains a "fair way away" from full training.

"The reality is that it's a pretty ruthless sport and we've seen in recent years that it's getting more ruthless in terms of contracts and clubs looking to see what's best for them," Trengove said on Tuesday.

"There's no doubt that I'm in for a long year in terms of trying to put my best foot forward and play some good footy to warrant another contract. That's the plan at this stage and, hopefully, I can do that."

Trengove – the No.2 overall pick in the 2009 national draft – first had surgery to fix his foot injury in April last year, having played in the opening two matches of that season.

Richmond were interested in trading for him during last year's exchange period, but a medical check revealed the injury had not healed properly.

It has been as much a mental battle as a physical one for the midfielder, who was a co-captain with Jack Grimes in 2012-13 during the short but tumultuous era under former coach Mark Neeld.

"There was a fair while there where I felt like I was belting my head against a brick wall and not getting very far," Trengove said.

"But when you go from walking to jogging and doing some running, you feel like you've made some fair inroads and you can certainly see the light at the end of the tunnel now.

"It's one of those injuries where it's a fine balance of doing enough but not too much, so we are just juggling that at the moment. It has never felt better."

Trengove, 24, says he is not in pain when running and the plan is to be ready to join pre-season training in November. From there, it will come down to loading and match fitness, with the ultimate aim to be fit for round one.

"There's a lot of water to pass under the bridge and, no doubt, there'll be the odd time where you do take two steps forward and one step back. That's the nature of the injury," he said. "But the way it's going at this stage and, if it continues this way, then round one is certainly possible."

Trengove watched with envy as former teammate James Frawley became a premiership player with Hawthorn on Saturday, in his first year since leaving the Demons.

"Sitting there on Saturday and watching the boys run out in a grand final, that is every kid's dream, and it certainly is still mine," he said.

"Watching someone like James Frawley, who I am pretty close with, and see him win a premiership, it's no doubt tough, but it just makes me even more motivated to get back out there."