WESTERN Bulldogs skipper Bob Murphy has taken a small but important step on the comeback trail from his knee reconstruction by running for the first time.

Murphy took "baby steps" on the Alter-G anti-gravity treadmill on Wednesday, more than three months after he went down with a torn ACL in the dying seconds of a heartbreaking round-three loss to Hawthorn.

"Yeah, I did. I had a run, which has taken about 14 weeks but I had a trot, so I'm out of the blocks," Murphy told Fox Footy.

"I was trying to downplay it … but as soon as I started running, it was a joyful run."

Rumours have swirled that Murphy, 34, might attempt a shock return this season to take part in the Bulldogs' finals campaign.

But coach Luke Beveridge was quick to dismiss the speculation this week.

"No, he's not. Definitely not," he said.

"I know that was a bit of a rumour, but he won't come back this year. We'll get him back next year, which is brilliant.”