The reigning WDCA champions resumed pre-season training on Friday night ahead of the 2021-22 season start on October 9.

Loft, who coaches alongside incoming mentor Cameron Williams, said the biggest challenge was getting his players mentally ready after another year of lockdowns and uncertainty.

"It is the biggest challenge because even the few training sessions we've had it, eerie isn't the right word but it has been flat because everyone is in a bit of a holding pattern," he said.

"We've got October 9 as a start date but in the back of your mind you think 'will we get there?' You don't know, it's a day-to-day thing.

"Getting them mentally ready and switched on and starting to think about it as 'yes we are going to be getting into it' is the biggest challenge.

"Especially for the footballers who have had their season stop and start for the last six months or even 18 months.

"You just wonder where they are mentally to actually be ready to go for October 9."

Loft said the focus for his squad, which has had three sessions - two indoor and one outdoors - in the last two months, was getting his players reacquainted with each other.

"It's getting the boys back together because the last eight to 10 weeks has been shut down so blokes haven't been around each other," he said.

"Socially they haven't seen each other, from a cricket point of view we haven't seen each other and it has been hard.

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"That is just as important as rolling the arm over and hitting a few balls especially early in the year. We can't get together socially yet so training is the only outlet.

"We have to get together but obviously you need to loosen up the muscles and get the arm rolling over, throw a few balls and hit a few balls that is a focus but not the main focus."

The premiership-winning coach said training between now and the start of the season is going to be a moving target for all clubs and their teams.

"All clubs are in the same boat. They have all had restrictions and haven't been able to get out as a group so no one has got an advantage over everyone else," he said.

Loft said it was unfortunate the football and netball leagues had to cancel their seasons without premiers but hoped cricket could get through unscathed.

"Hopefully we can get through a season and offer an outlet for people to get out and play some sport and mix socially," he said.

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