Essendon defender Courtenay Dempsey today rejoined his fellow teammates on the training track, following a club imposed suspension a month ago.

Senior coach Mark Thompson said the talented defender had learnt some valuable lessons after being away from the club for four weeks.

“Courtenay is back today with the group,” Thompson said.

“He spoke to the playing group this morning about how different his outlook is now on the game and how much he appreciates it.

“He got a good dose of the real world in a short, four week period and I think he appreciates his footy and hopefully there are good results to follow now.”

Dempsey was initially unavailable for senior selection after failing to meet the standards and expectations set by the playing group. He also recently suffered a minor hamstring strain during one of the club’s VFL practice matches in late March.

Since making his debut in 2006, Dempsey has played 88 career games after being drafted from Morningside in Queensland.