New Collingwood coach Nathan Buckley said last season's grand final loss to Geelong was the main source of the club's motivation through pre-season and conceded some changes to the game plan were needed.
Buckley fronted the media for the first time as Magpies coach on Monday as the entire playing group stepped up their pre-season training ahead of their departure to Arizona on Tuesday for the club's annual training camp.
While players Scott Pendlebury and Chris Dawes last week said they had no interest in revisiting last month's 38-point loss to the Cats, Buckley said it was an important tool to see where they needed to improve.
"I think it's important to go there and the wounds are still fairly raw in many respects but that's what we play the game for and if you're not able to get the job done on the big day ..." he said.
"Geelong were the better side on the day and were the better side three times throughout the year when we played them."
"Whilst we focus on that as well we can't ignore that there's other teams in Hawthorn and Carlton and West Coast that are thereabouts and pushing up. We'll be focusing on making sure we have a game plan that's going to knock over the best sides, not just Geelong."
"It's definitely motivation to each of the individuals. If you ask them what's driving them through the pre-season I've got little doubt that they'll talk about the fact that they weren't able to get the job done at the end of the season."
Collingwood have been the dominant side for the past two years with a premiership and a grand final appearance to show for it.
And while Buckley acknowledged that what previous coach Mick Malthouse had set up was successful, adjustments needed to be implemented to keep the Pies ahead of the rest.
"I think the expectation is that it's going to be obvious but I think the way we play, the way Collingwood has played its football in recent times, has been fairly successful," Buckley said.
"So, you don't want to throw the baby out with the bathwater, there will be adjustments and I think towards the end of last year it showed they are adjustments that need to be made and the players are ready for that."
"You can't afford to stand still, standing still is going backwards."
"We've been relatively successful as a football side. But that doesn't guarantee any success going forward, you've got to put the work in."
"You've got to be prepared to stay with the times, I suppose, and make adjustments to be playing your best football at the right time."
Defender Nathan Brown trained with the main group on Monday, but won't travel to Arizona with the rest of his team-mates on Tuesday as he continues his recovery from separate knee injuries, while Andrew Krakouer will also miss the trip due to his inability to obtain a visa because of his criminal record.
Captain Nick Maxwell, who missed Monday's training session, will make the trip and Buckley endorsed his position as skipper, but will aim to work on the rest of the leadership group throughout the pre-season.
"We'll work on our leadership and made sure that we're optimising the effect the playing leaders have on the group," Buckley said.
"It's about influence and as you can see, they're led by example, the influence has been excellent."
"Over the last five years plus, Maxy does it very well, Scott Pendlebury's been fantastic, obviously Darren Jolly coming and Luke Ball coming into the system have been great for us."
"So we'll see where that goes over the course of the next five or six weeks and like every club, we'll go through our own process with that."
Buckley said losing All Australian half back Leon Davis was a 'big loss', but nominated returning Irishman Marty Clarke or youngsters Luke Rounds and Ben Sinclair as players who could adequately fill the void.