COLLINGWOOD midfielder Sharrod Wellingham says the Pies are desperate to ensure coach Mick Malthouse's last season in charge is every bit as successful as this year.

Wellingham believes the club's premiership in 2010 has only further inspired the club to reach greater heights next season.

And the midfielder believes the fact 2011 will be Malthouse's final year may give act as an added incentive for both the coach and the playing group.

Malthouse will be in charge next year for his final season in the coaches box before handing the senior reins to Nathan Buckley. Three-time premiership coach Malthouse will become director of coaching at Collingwood.

Wellingham says the 57-year-old, who this year was at the peak of his coaching powers, is hell-bent on replicating this year's success in 2011.

"He's [Malthouse] very, very driven and the fact that he's in his final term of head coaching I think is inspiring him even more just to make sure that he gives it even more of a red-hot crack," he said.

"It's going to be exciting. I suppose that he'll be of the attitude that we'll worry about him leaving at the end of the year. He's a head-down, bum-up kind of guy, so he won't be worried about it.

"I think we'll take the attitude that we'll do everything we can to try to have a really top last year for him."

The reigning premiers are working harder than ever in pre-season training, despite their short turnaround following their late finish to the season.

The club returned from its annual off-season camp to Arizona late last week, and resumed its summer campaign with an intense workout at its home base on Monday.

Usual track specialist Steele Sidebottom set the pace in a two-kilometre time trial, with Harry O'Brien and Brad Dick filling the placings as the pair showed the rewards of the club's high-altitude trip in the US.

Wellingham was another to go close to a personal best and said the Pies had been quick to re-focus on 2011 following the arduous trip to Arizona.

"It was tough, the hardest one that I think we've been through," the 22-year-old said.

"But the boys attacked it really well and everyone really enjoyed it and you could tell by the end of it that even though it was bloody hard, it was all worth it."

Wellingham said the Pies were determined to push on from this year's success and improve to become a powerhouse of the competition.

"We don't want to rest on the laurels of what we did last season or anything like that," he said.

"We've spoken about the fact that just because we won last year it doesn't mean we can rest on that. We've got to raise the bar again ... every year you've got to try to improve, otherwise you don't go anywhere."