ADELAIDE defender Brent Reilly won't be back to contact training until January but is hopeful he'll be right to return for round one, 2014.
The 29-year-old is continuing his recovery from a shoulder reconstruction, after being injured in the opening minute of the Crows round 14 win on the Gold Coast.
"(The) shoulder's going okay, it's a little bit slow. I should be right for round one," Reilly told AFL.com.au.
"I'll start contact training maybe mid to late January, so I'm looking forward to that.
"We started pre-season already, so it's good to be around the boys and starting to get fit again."
It's been an off-season of change at the Crows, headlined by the departure of popular midfielder Bernie Vince.
"Bernie was one of my good mates at the club, and I'm going to miss him," Reilly said.
"We're still going to be mates, it's not as if he's gone on bad terms."
But in Reilly's eyes, the acquisition of James Podsiadly and Eddie Betts is a huge positive.
"They're two very good pick ups for us, and the forward line's going to be pretty potent now," he said.
"Podsiadly's a premiership player and he's played at the most successful club in the last ten years, so he's going to be great for us."
Adelaide's 2014 home and away season begins on 20 March against Geelong at Simonds Stadium.
