Collingwood superstar Nick Daicos has revealed he pushed through this year’s finals campaign with not one, but two, serious injuries.
The 22-year-old gun will ease back into pre-season training this week fresh off a trip to Dubai.
But Daicos has told 7NEWS he had to have an enforced layoff after carrying bone stress in the fifth metatarsal of his right foot through the finals campaign.
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The Magpies vice-captain also revealed that he suffered a left posterior cruciate ligament (PCL) injury just days before the preliminary final clash with the Lions.
“I didn’t need any surgery, just more time off,” Daicos told 7NEWS.
Determined to push through the pain and inspire his side to success, the injury would have ruled him out for several months if it occurred during the season, but the extent of the damage only came to light through post-season scans.
“I’m building up my training loads (now),” Daicos told 7NEWS.
“It’s been a little bit frustrating at times, you naturally want to be doing everything you can but naturally (they) had to force me to get some time off.”
But Daicos said that had probably been “a good thing” and was hopeful that it would be a benefit “in the long run”.
So, after a quiet off-season, Daicos will now complete just over 50 per cent of training before taking a break over Christmas.
Turning his injury absence into a silver lining, he partnered with defender Isaac Quaynor when he was overseas in Dubai to focus on his rehabilitation.
Daicos was full of praise for his fellow Collingwood leadership teammate, crediting Quaynor for helping him take his game to another level.
“We really bond doing a lot of our training together, he’s probably one of the best runners in the AFL and for me to do my running with him, it’s always good,” Daicos said.
Quaynor, his 2023 premiership teammate, was equally full of praise for his travelling buddy before their pre-season officially starts on Monday.
“Running wise, I probably push him and everything to do with the football he pushes me,” Quaynor told 7NEWS.
While some pundits think the Pies might be too old, Daicos is confident they remain firmly in the premiership window.
The son-of-a-gun revealed he sent a text message to coach Craig McRae about going all in on 2026, the day after Collingwood’s preliminary final loss to Brisbane.
Daicos says he can’t wait to kick off pre-season training on Monday and is ready to make a splash come opening round in March.
“It’s exciting, it’s another opportunity, another crack at it, a fresh start so everyone’s pretty motivated,” he said.
