The South Warrnambool export is refreshed and eager to move past the niggling injuries which marred his 2014 campaign.

Knee, hamstring and ankle complaints restricted Dwyer to 13 appearances, a significant decrease on the mature-age rookie’s blistering AFL debut season which netted him 21 games.

Dwyer, 28, said he was fit and excited about the prospect of re-establishing himself in the Magpies’ best 22. 

“My body is holding up well which is nice,” he said.

“It’s probably the most I have done in pre-season with the main group since I have been at the club so that’s a real positive for me.

“I sat down towards the end of the year and had a good chat to the coaches.

“It (having injuries) was pretty frustrating at that stage and one of my main focuses in the pre-season and off-season was to do as much pre-season as I could and give myself a better base going into the season.”

Collingwood missed the finals for the first time since 2005 last year.

But Dwyer said morale was high and the Magpies were confident their younger players, many of whom have experienced senior football, would develop.

“I think in terms of how pre-season has gone we are definitely more advanced on where we were this time last year,” he said.

“The majority of the group is completing full training sessions and other than that the rest are looking to in the next couple of weeks.

“The list is healthy and there is plenty of competition for spots so it’s positive.”

Dwyer, at 177 centimetres, joins Ben Kennedy (174cm), Jamie Elliott (175cm), Jarryd Blair (174cm), Taylor Adams (179cm) and Steele Sidebottom (180cm) among the Magpies’ surplus of small forward-midfield options.

He believes the competition for selection will be to the Pies’ betterment.

“Midfield, forward and wing we have a lot of boys who can rotate through those positions so for me it’s about getting continuity on the park and trying to play as many games as I can,” he said.

“You have to be pretty versatile with the way the game is these days so I think I will find myself thrown into those three positions.”

Dwyer has played 34 games since he arrived at Collingwood as a rookie in November 2012 after an eight-year apprenticeship at VFL club Port Melbourne.

The former electrician said the long wait was worthwhile.

“I was pretty lucky going to a club like Collingwood,” he said.

“You do get to play in front of massive crowds and they have passionate fans and it is something you cherish and love.

“I am still loving every day.”

Dwyer spent Christmas with his family in Warrnambool and joined a handful of the south-west’s other AFL-listed players for a hole-in-one competition at Lady Bay.

He said it was fun to take part in the charity event alongside Warrnambool golf export and US PGA star Marc Leishman, who he’d met before.

“I had a couple of warm-up shots and I didn’t get close so at least in the hole-in-one I hit straight and in the air,” Dwyer said.

“It was very impressive seeing the way Marc hit the ball.” 

Dwyer hopes to spend time in the south-west during winter — AFL commitments permitting — to watch his brother Josh play for Warrnambool and District league club Old Collegians.