Collingwood starts 2015 pre-season without football boss and long-term injury concerns Nathan Buckley and Collingwood begin pre-season training on Wednesday. COLLINGWOOD will start its pre-season without a footy boss and with several long-term injury concerns on Wednesday. But the Magpies say the departure of director of football Rodney Eade to be Gold Coast coach will not affect summer training. The pre-season begins on Wednesday for 22 first-to-fourth-year players, including boom recruit Darcy Moore. The Pies have rejigged their football department and have a new weights team and doctor, former Geelong medico Chris Bradshaw. Absent for much of next season will be last year's top-10 draft pick Matthew Scharenberg, who had a knee reconstruction in late August. Jarryd Blair's Collingwood begin pre-season training this week. Brent Macaffer blew out his knee in Round 23, and while he has set himself for a Round 1 return, mid-season is much more likely. Scott Pendlebury and Jarrod Witts will be back in full training after Christmas. Both had post-season shoulder surgery. The Pies hope Dane Swan will be back next month after surgeries that included bone being shaved off a hip. Swan also battled foot, Achilles and back injuries this year and also had a double wrist reconstruction. Fitness boss Bill Davoren will continue to ramp up the running program despite the club's soft-tissue injuries this year. Collingwood always knew it would take two pre-seasons to become accustomed to the larger running load it believes it needs to compete with elite running sides. Dane Swan returns from his overseas adventure to begin Collingwood pre-season training. Chief executive Gary Pert says the pre-season would run smoothly despite the lack of a football director. "In the pre-season I will oversee the football program while we are working through the pre-season and the selection process,"" Pert said. Rodney had already set up the program for the summer. We have to get clear the type of person we want and there is no desperate hurry. It is such a senior role. We were very supportive of Rocket (Eade) going and we would like to see him do well and we wish him all the best. I have had 20 people text or call me and say they want to be considered and we have said we needed to resolve (Eade's departure) first. Fremantle's Simon Lloyd, a former Pies staffer, and Greater Western Sydney football manager Graeme Allan have both been linked to the job.