Amid the excitement and relief of returning to the top level after a year out of football, Essendon star defender Michael Hurley could feel something was amiss in his game at the start of this season.

He was solid in the Bombers' stirring round one win over Hawthorn, but struggled to find his best in the following weeks. The 26-year-old hadn't worried about being able to settle back into Essendon's defence and play well despite missing all of 2016.

But, after being an All Australian backman the last time he played in 2015, Hurley could tell something was lacking. He just needed to figure out what. After a so-so opening month, Hurley caught up with Dan Jordan, one of the club's development and backline coaches, and quickly identified the issue.

"We spoke about being a bit more assertive and aggressive with the way I was playing. I wasn't really having a big physical presence or playing the way I had previously," Hurley told AFL.com.au. "I was being easy to play against, so I started changing that to get back to how I normally play. It's turned around nicely."

Nicely is fair way to put it. Hurley has quickly gotten back to his commanding, effective, dominating best. He is averaging the most touches of his career (23 a game), he leads the Bombers for marks and intercept possessions, he is crashing into packs and coming down with the ball, and the tough, courageous and fearless approach that has encapsulated his career is more than evident.

Hurley is carrying a presence of a player in his prime and just as the Bombers have noticed a change in Hurley since the start of the year, he has in found the same in himself.

"It was an interesting first month of footy with different emotions involved for different guys, and it was a bit of a slow start for me. My form wasn't where I wanted it to be," he said.

It is no surprise Hurley's form spike has coincided with better Essendon performances of late, with the Bombers aiming for three wins in a row for the first time in nearly three years when they take on Richmond in Saturday night's Dreamtime at the 'G clash.

He says returning to Essendon last year for pre-season felt "a bit weird" at first, but that it quickly became comfortable. Some things, however, had changed in his season away.

"I wasn't anxious, I was excited to get back. I really missed being around the footy club last year and really missed playing footy and being with the guys. That was hard. There was a few nerves in coming back after a while out, but it's great to be back," he said

"Coming back in straight away you could sense the drive they had to be successful. Last year was a tough year for those guys and coming back you could see how much the young guys had developed physically and mentally you could see they had grown and wanted success. They had to grow up pretty quickly."

If there was any benefit to having a year out of the game Hurley found it to be a refresh for his body. His combative style meant he had often carried niggles and knocks through seasons, but a full year away from the competition has freed him of some of those lingering complaints.

But that's only a minor positive. Hurley acknowledges how difficult the ban was to handle from start to finish, with unforeseen elements to the suspension popping up.

"For so long I'd played footy every winter, so to have that taken away was sad," he said.

"I did a bit of travel and that always tends to make time go pretty quickly, but a couple of months after the decision it really dragged on and I was feeling sorry for myself a bit.

"A few of my mates play a basketball game on a Wednesday and I thought 'I'm not playing footy now, I'll go and play with them'.

"I spoke to my manager and he said 'You're actually not allowed to do that'. That was a bit of a shame, but the suspension's done now and we're in amongst the footy club again and doing what we love."

Playing in the backline is part of that for Hurley. Hurley was chosen by the Bombers with pick No.5 at the 2008 NAB AFL Draft as the pool's best key defender, but spent several years in attack at the Bombers.

There were also times where he'd pinch-hit where required, and he admits being settled in one spot has made a difference to his form.

"You don't think about it at the time but you do appreciate the continuity when you get it. It was 'Bomber' (2014 stand-in coach Mark Thompson) who came into the club and said 'You're playing centre half back so get used to it', which was great," Hurley said.

"I was a slightly reluctant [forward]. I always saw myself as a key defender who could play forward at times but I was never overly confident in my ability to be a full-time forward. I didn't feel I read the game as well in the forward half, and my positioning and marking I always felt were slightly better down back."

Hurley's preferred position wasn't on his mind last year when he had to make a decision on recommitting to the Bombers or looking elsewhere. He met with interested parties – the Western Bulldogs were front-runners for his services if he decided to leave – but in August finally agreed to a new contract with Essendon through to the end of 2022.

With the Bombers 5-4 but showing promising signs, and Hurley rating the list as the most exciting in his nine years with the club, he's content with his choice.

"I'm really happy. It was obviously a big decision in my life and my career and I wouldn't have it any other way. There was a lot going through my mind and I had to weigh up a lot of things, and obviously a lot of things had happened in the past as well," he said.

"I spent a lot of time talking to others about it and got a lot of other views off people whose opinions I find important. They were really great for me.

"The longer it went on the more I understood how much it meant to certain people. It was a weight off my shoulders once it all got sorted out and the club was pleased and hopefully the fans were pleased too."