It’s a tick of approval from the captain.

That’s the essence of Scott Pendlebury’s review of Jordan De Goey as he returns to the club.

De Goey was suspended indefinitely by the club last month, but Pendlebury told the return of Collingwood Media’s Jock and Journo podcast that the youngster has taken steps in the right direction during his time away from the club.

“It’s like when Collingwood fans watch us this year,” Pendlebury said of De Goey.

“They have heard all the talk, but they won’t believe it until they see it. And that’s what we’re like.

“We’ve got reports from people who he worked with and he was really good, really engaging.

“We’re working with a 22-year-old kid who is really trying hard to improve his decisions off the field. He is doing well and we want everyone to be perfect, but it’s an imperfect world.”

Prior to his suspension, De Goey was Pendlebury’s training partner in the gym. It’s not a partnership that made the captain’s life easy, such was De Goey’s approach to his work.

PODCAST: Click here to listen to the entire discussion on iTunes now.

“He’s a big unit, so he’s really strong in the gym,” Pendlebury continued.

“I’d been doing a bit of stuff with him in the gym.

“Within the space of about six weeks, I wanted to find a new partner because he just put me to shame!”

De Goey wasn’t the only topic of conversation, either.

Jonathan Brown’s criticism of Collingwood’s training approach, the inside word on debutant Sam Murray and off-season Twitter dramas are among the many topics Pendlebury and co-host Jay Clark dissect on the return of the Jock and Journo.

Catch the full edition of the podcast as it returns for 2018 on iTunes and SoundCloud now.

Other talking points include:

- Pendles discusses his sea change (0.48)
- The captain builds his ideal house (2.23)
- What happened with the NBA in China (plus associated basketball talk)? (3.47)
- Pendles responds to Jonathon Brown’s training criticism (5.52)
- How has Collingwood viewed its pre-season? (7.13)
- What’s the inside word on Sam Murray? (9.43)
- The certainty and the upset for round one (10.51)
- Twitter dramas (14.44)
- Who are we buying in season 2018? (16.48)
- Free agent talk returns (19.11)
- A tick to mid-season trades (20.08)
- Media access (21.54)
- Pendles gives his take on Jordan De Goey (24.03)
- A Magpie star gets engaged (27.15)