Nathan Buckley: Collingwood better off without Dale Thomas

Buckley bristled when asked to explain the premiership midfielder's departure to Carlton during the free agency period.

He said doubts over the 26-year-old's ability to return to full fitness meant Collingwood could not justify matching Carlton's lucrative offer.

"He really struggled with his body over the last two years," Buckley said on Wednesday.

"I wish him all the best, but we think there were enough question marks about it to allocate that many resources and funds from a salary cap perspective.

"We believe we can contend. I don't feel like we have any need to take any steps back. We'll have 22 competitive players and we believe we'll be able to maintain and protect the core of the talent within the list."

On the same day Thomas fronted the media at his new club, Collingwood unveiled their own recruits at a wet and windy Westpac Centre.

Taylor Adams (GWS), Jesse White (Sydney) and Patrick Karnezis (Brisbane Lions) will add to Collingwood's depth and Buckley is convinced the Magpies will improve on their eighth place finish in 2013.

"We are rapt to have these three with the opportunity to come into this organisation and make a difference with their actions, their efforts and their hard work," he said.

"We have enough talent. It's just a matter of building the team to play winning footy and we weren't able to do that this year."

Buckley said White would play as a forward who could pinch-hit in the ruck and Karnezis had the potential to become a handy forward who could push into the midfield.

"He's a natural third tall," he said of the former Lion.

"He could develop into a very dangerous forward with the capacity to go through the midfield once he builds his tank. He also has the size to play behind the ball...he has tremendous scope and growth."

He said Adams was a tough ball winner with strong leadership potential.

"I've got high expectations of Tay. I coached him at under-16 level at an early age. He's very set on how he wants to go about his footy. He's strong over the ball and is a hard worker," Buckley said.

Buckley said training before Christmas would focus on leadership, while the new season's leadership structure would be announced in February, with Scott Pendlebury expected to replace Nick Maxwell as captain.