The Cobden coach, who gave birth earlier this year, said an old back injury had flared up, limiting her aerobic work.

But Hinkley, who will oversee the Bombers' first pre-season training session for season 2021 next Thursday, said she was managing the issue.

"I have had ongoing issues with my back since I was 17," she said.

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"I had a straight forward birth (this year) and we thought it was all fine and I started running four months after birth and everything was no worries.

"It was probably going a bit too hard too early. Because I have had the history of bulged discs when I was really young and that all comes from instability from in my hips and back, I have had to try and build my strength back up."

Hinkley had planned to do a short jog on Tuesday on her road to recovery and has been going to the gym and doing pilates.

"I have felt good in every other sense but I just want to make sure I can think in the long-term to play sport for as long as I can and have as many kids as we would like to and not have anything physically holding us back from that," she said.

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"It's probably been a real blessing not having the season because I would have tried to play. It was probably in my best interests we had to put it on the back-burner."

Hinkley took on the coaching role in 2020 and is eager to test herself next year.

"It feels exciting. I think it's nice to start from scratch in the coaching sense as we've had that bit of a break," she said. "As much as it was nice to have that bit of momentum from two years (in a row) being in a grand final, I think it's nice for everyone to have a little breather and come at it with a different perspective or different energy.

"It means everyone can be receptive to a new point-of-view and it doesn't seem like such a big change when someone else has come in."

Cobden's senior players have been helping run junior clinics at the club since COVID-19 restrictions have eased.

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