Collingwood coach Nathan Buckley expects Dane Swan’s AFL career to be put back on track as quickly as it went putrid.

The 2011 Brownlow Medallist was candid last week when asked about his season, which was blighted by injuries and inconsistency.

Swan admitted he had not been upfront with club medical staff about his body and said his form had been putrid and horrendous.

While Swan has turned 30, Buckley is upbeat that the onballer’s poor year was a blip rather than the beginning of the end.

“I certainly hope not,” Buckley said when asked if Swan’s best was behind him.

“He still has the capability to be a very good player in our side.

“I’m less worried about All Australians and B and F’s as I am about him being a very strong team-mate and playing his role.”

Buckley also praised Swan for the comments, saying it was typical of his honesty.

“It was probably his first down season for seven or eight – he’s had a remarkably-consistent career,” Buckley said.

“I picked up he obviously has very strong motivation to want to prepare himself to have a better season next year.

“And that’s great to hear.”

Swan also said he wanted to be more of an onfield mentor, saying it was an area where he needed to improve.

He is now Collingwood’s oldest player and the young Magpies will continue to lean heavily on their few remaining veterans.

On Monday, Buckley unveiled their latest seven recruits through the drafts.

Father-son pick Darcy Moore said there will be plenty of opportunities for senior football if he and his fellow newcomers are good enough.

“You need to look no further than Tom Langdon and Jack Frost from this year, who showed if you perform, you can string the games together regardless of your age,” Moore said.

“Everyone takes a bit out of that.

“But at this stage, pre-Christmas, we have a long way to go before we start talking games played and stuff like that.”

One positive for Collingwood early in their pre-season is that there are more players running than this time last year.

Buckley was upbeat after Monday morning’s latest time trial as the players ramp up to full training.

“Over the course of the pre-season already, we’ve had players best themselves and then best themselves again,” he said.

“So that’s a really good sign.

“There aren’t a lot of guys who aren’t running at the moment – basically every player on the squad is running and getting work in pre-Christmas.”