Paul Licuria speaks to Nathan Brown about his injury and plans for 2011.

Collingwood’s premiership defender Nathan Brown used the 15-hour flight from Los Angeles to Melbourne to absorb his latest injury setback and how he plans to tackle the remaining 2011 season.

Brown was hiking alongside teammate Darren Jolly on the final day of the mid-season high-altitude training camp in Flagstaff when he slipped on some gravel on the final leg of the walk.

The 22-year-old underwent surgery on Sunday to repair his damaged patella tendon sustained in the fall.  Speaking to CTV from home, Brown spoke about his goals for the next phase of his career.

“The surgeon was pretty straight up and said that was the year over,” Brown said.

“My mindset has changed from heading back for the finals to eyeing a round one return.

“The 15-hour flight home from LA gave me time to think about everything.  I got all my anger and frustration out. 
 
“What I learned with my reco knee is that things happen.  No matter how bad or frustrated you feel about something you will never get it back.”

Brown has endured a horror run since the 2010 premiership with the 50-game player undergoing one shoulder reconstruction, a knee reconstruction and now an operation on his knee cap.

“I have to get on with what I want to do now and it’s just another challenge in my career.  I will learn from it and become a better person for it.”

The club doctors have already prescribed a recovery regime for Brown, which sets him up to train with the side from day one of the preseason later this year.

“The physio has already called me and said I need to get going. 

“At this stage I need to get the swelling down in my knee with plenty of ice.  I have to keep my quads firing around my knee so my muscles don’t switch off.”

The timing of the injury will allow Brown to prepare himself for a full preseason campaign, his fifth since he was drafted by the Magpies with overall selection 10 in the 2006 draft.

"That gives me a month to be normal.  I will comeback at the start of the preseason and be in full training mode."