INJURY plagued Magpie Ben Reid says he could play this week after completing 90 per cent of the pre-season in preparation for 2016.

Although he has played just nine games in two seasons, Reid's confidence was buoyed after he played the final five matches of 2015 without injury.

Belief that the worst is behind the 26-year-old has grown over the pre-season.

"Every now and then I miss a session and let the body recover a bit more," Reid said.

"I pulled out of yesterday's session just for management and will be back on Friday, so I'm in and out here and there but most of all I have been able to do what has been asked of me." 

Reid's class has been missed in the past two seasons as he repeatedly broke down with soft tissue injuries. 

However seven consecutive games (in both VFL and AFL) have him pencilled in as a starter for the Pies. 

Reid played both forward and back at the end of the last season, but expects to be a defender in 2016, hoping to recapture the form that made him an All Australian in 2011 as he trains in that role this pre-season.

He told the media at Collingwood's community camp in Stawell that the demands on defenders and forwards are similar, with the decision to play him down back in the future based on the team's needs rather than whether it would be easier on his body. 

While playing finals in 2016 would be no better than a pass mark for the Magpies, Reid said relying on talented recruits Adam Treloar, James Aish and Jeremy Howe to provide the improvement necessary would be foolish. 

"Those three guys are not going to get the job done for us. [Whether the] youngest guy or the oldest guy, we all have to pull our weight and just continue to get better," Reid said. 

"That is the only way we are going to go up." 

Reid didn't mention his durability but every footy supporter knows how crucial he could be to the Magpies' fortunes under Nathan Buckley. 

The good news is he is ready to go. 

"If there was a game this week I would be right to play," Reid said.

"Obviously I have to manage my body for the rest of career…[but] there is no reason why I can't play every game."