Midfielder Scott Pendlebury says the Christmas break is a welcome pre-season milepost with the worst of Collingwood's gruelling strength and conditioning campaign behind them.
Pendlebury says the club's recent altitude training camp in Arizona was the toughest he had experienced but was looking forward to a shift towards ball work at training in January under new coach Nathan Buckley.
"With the camp it's all about getting fit and getting on the park and making sure you hit the Christmas phase uninjured and healthy and ready to go," Pendlebury said on Tuesday as Magpies players visited Melbourne's Royal Children's Hospital.
"Every year you're able to push to a new level and knowing that you've done it the year before you can go that little bit further, that little bit harder. We certainly get pushed, get challenged, you've just got to hang in there and eventually the day finishes so you can go to bed.''
"It was tough. A lot of hard work goes into that camp every player on the list gets challenged."
"I think we pushed the boundaries this year," Pendlebury said.
The 2011 Copeland Trophy winner said he had made it through the training camp in top shape and was ready for another season as the leader of the Collingwood midfield.
"The body is good,'' he said.
"The last three or four years I've been able to get a full pre-season under my belt, which always helps."
"Hopefully it's the same for me again,'' he said.
Pendlebury reported captain Nick Maxwell (thumb) ruckman Darren Jolly (groin) and forward Chris Dawes (ankle) had recovered well from the injuries suffered late in the season.
"Maxy has done every session. He was even back a couple of weeks early to get a head start."
"Most of the guys that were injured at the end of last year are really close to training if not training already."
Pendlebury said the club's crop of draftees were training strongly.
"Jarrod Witts stands up and he is seven-foot tall so you notice him," Pendlebury quipped.
"Another young fella Peter Yagmoor has been really impressive. At the training camp over there he really put his best foot forward."
"We have a great bunch of young kids that have come in and they have all added something different."
Pendlebury said 208cm Witts was on track to challenge senior ruckmen Cameron Wood and Jolly for selection.
"It adds a bit more pressure on all those guys there," he said.
"With Shae the American (McNamara) there is four really strong talented guys. Hopefully they all develop at a really good rate and work hard with each other."