How many Collingwood players have not been omitted owing to form in the past two years?

If any of Dane Swan, Scott Pendlebury, Luke Ball or Travis Cloke were the first players to spring to mind, that’s understandable.

But it’s unlikely that Lachlan Keeffe’s name crossed your mind.

After all, Keeffe has played only 22 senior games and missed more than 12 months with a knee reconstruction.

But when he has been fit and available for selection, he has been almost an automatic pick for coach Nathan Buckley and the match committee.

It’s little wonder that he feels he is ready to stake his claim as a player the Magpies can bank on for all 22 games (plus finals) in 2014.

“The biggest thing for me this year is that it’s my first pre-season for three or four years now,” Keeffe told collingwoodfc.com.au.

“I just want to play out the season.”

Whether that’s in defence, where he has played most of his football so far, in attack, where he spent the Elimination Final loss to Port Adelaide, or as a pinch-hitter around the ground remains to be seen.

Read more pre-season updates from collingwoodfc.com.au here.

“Everyone sat down with Bucks at the end of the year and talked about where they would play and all that kind of stuff, but I think my niche is in the backline,” he said.

“(But) in this day and age, to the team you’re more valuable if you can play that utility role or in different positions.

“With Jesse White coming in there’s probably a few questions here and there of structure and whatnot.”

White’s arrival means Ben Reid, who became a permanent key forward once Keeffe returned from injury, may be released back into defence.

Where that leaves the Pies’ myriad key position players is anyone’s guess.

“You try to pick apart what the coach is thinking, but he probably hasn’t made a decision yet either,” Keeffe offered when pressed about where all the taller Magpies will fit in.

“He’ll probably make two or three different changes throughout the year depending on match ups and whatnot.

“I’ve got some pretty lofty goals this year so if I can worry about focusing on that then everything can worry about itself.”

For now, those goals will stay between him and backline coach Ben Hart, but he acknowledges the presence of captain Nick Maxwell has helped him change his mindset for the better.

“The goals are pretty lofty but I think, being in the backline group with Maxy who sets some pretty high standards and pretty high goals.

“I’ve been one in the past to shy away from that just because it’s hard to get them and when you don’t get them I’ve taken a backward seat, thinking ‘oh s---, that’s not good enough,’ whereas now, that’s when you start to reload and you go ‘how good would it feel if you actually get them.’ It’s a different mindset change there.”

Keeffe’s knee injury is now well behind him, and so is the shoulder that underwent surgery during the off-season.

The result is that he is now getting the miles into his legs at a time when he was bogged down in rehab 12 months ago.

“It’s just good to be out there pre-Christmas, back and running. I’m pretty excited about where I’m at.

“Being out on the track mentally is good because it gives you a bit of a head start and it feels like you’re not playing catch up, as such. The results show I’m running pretty good times and I sat down with Bill Davoren, the new conditioning coach, and he mapped out a bit of a program from previous years.

“Everything’s going in the right direction.”