Controversial St Kilda recruit Jake Carlisle has worked up a sweat at his new AFL club, despite starting on a modified program.

The former Essendon tall utility was spared the 3km time trial as some Saints returned for pre-season training.

Carlisle was not due to start training for another fortnight, but that changed when a video emerged of him snorting a white powder while on his off-season holiday.

As punishment, he will miss the first two games of next season and he also voluntarily recorded a first strike under the AFL’s illicit drugs policy.

Another part of his punishment, announced last Friday, was that he start pre-season training a fortnight early.

So Carlisle joined the Saints’ first-to four-year players on Monday morning at Albert Park.

“I’m just doing a bit of rehab stuff,” Carlisle said.

“I’m on-feet today, light jogs and progressing pretty good so hopefully in the next month I can get into it fully.

“I’ve met half the young boys already and it’ll be good to meet the rest of the playing group.”

Carlisle’s video became public only hours after his trade from Essendon was confirmed last month and the Saints are furious.

But assistant coach Adam Kingsley is confident that Carlisle can gain the trust of his teammates.

“He’ll go about it the right way and we’re confident he’ll build respect,” he said.

“He’s coming from a little bit further back than where he might have been, but he’ll get there.

“We need to manage him at the start to see where his body is and where he’s at within our group.

“But once we can get some idea of that, he’ll be included in our main drills.”