The Essendon community is abuzz at the prospect of most of their banned players returning to the team next year after season-long doping bans.

Dyson Heppell, Cale Hooker, Michael Hurley, Tom Bellchambers, Brent Stanton, Ben Howlett, David Myers, Travis Colyer and Heath Hocking have all re-committed to the club while serving their suspensions.

Michael Hibberd is the only banned Bomber to request a trade while Jobe Watson and Tayte Pears are still yet to announce what their intentions are for next year.

However, Goddard stressed that the reintegration of so many senior players into the team didn't automatically mean success was imminent.

"I think we've got to be realistic. There's a lot of unknowns in all of it," Goddard told RSN on Thursday.

"That's why we've got to quell a bit of the excitement from a lot of the people and fans.

"Everyone's excited to have them back, don't get me wrong, but in terms of performance and how they're going to come back – that's a lot of unknowns.

"We hope that they come in seamlessly but the reality is they'll probably take a bit of time."

In the returning players' favour, Goddard said they could take confidence from the fact that they've been sticking to a strict training regime.

"They've been training hard and continue to train hard now coming back from holidays," Goddard said.

"They're doing everything they can, they have done everything they can to be in good shape and mentally they'll be in the best shape they have been in four years."

Goddard was enthused by the prospect of playing with his banned teammates next season without "excess baggage" following the four-year supplement scandal which is still yet to reach its conclusion.

Fairfax Media reports that the Essendon 34's appeal verdict is expected to be handed down by Switzerland's Federal Tribunal in November.

"Everyone managed to deal with it in their own way and differently so some are less affected than others and others are more affected than others," Goddard said.

"The thing I'm most excited about is playing footy with those guys and everyone with, essentially, the excess baggage gone and that black cloud that's been hanging over the footy club for four or five years."

In his last year before being suspended, Hurley claimed All-Australian honours and finished second in the club's best-and-fairest playing in defence.

But with the emergence of Michael Hartley, Mitch Brown and Patrick Ambrose down back this year, Goddard would like to see Hurley play up forward next year.

The 26-year-old has spent a chunk of his career in attack and has over 100 goals to his name.

"He obviously had an outstanding year as a backman and blossomed as a footballer and I think that if he was to go forward, that would really have helped him and maybe he can take his game to another level as a forward," Goddard said.

"I had him as a third tall down forward with Hooker and (Joe) Daniher up there."