CHAMPION Collingwood midfielder Dane Swan is a Magpie for life, saying if the club doesn't want to offer him another contract beyond 2016 he won't chase rival offers.
As expected, Swan's two-year contract extension through to the end of 2016 was confirmed on Saturday at Collingwood's family day, joining defender Heritier Lumumba in agreeing to a new deal.
Lumumba put behind him a difficult season to agree to a one-year extension with the club, through to the end of 2015.
"At the end of this contract if Collingwood don't want me or I decide I want to keep going and they don't want me, I won't play anywhere else," Swan said.
"There's no point. I couldn't be bothered starting all over again anyway, I'm too lazy for that. I'm very comfortable here, and have great relationships with everyone here, from the volunteers to (president) Eddie [McGuire].
"I live close to here, it's been my home for nearly half my life so I have no intention of leaving anyway. I'm pretty grateful they have faith in me for another two years."
Swan is a constant in a Collingwood club that looks a little different in 2014, following the exit of premiership players Darren Jolly, Ben Johnson, Dale Thomas, Alan Didak and Heath Shaw last year.
While Swan said he had spent the summer looking for new company – "I've been interviewing for friends," Swan said – he said he still believed the club could contend for success.
He said comments several years ago, suggesting he might retire at the end of 2014, was just practical year-by-year thinking.
"I'm a bit past the stage where I'm trying to play for best and fairests and All Australians and stuff like that. They're obviously nice if they come along but while I'm getting a little bit older I just want some team success and to enjoy myself," he said.
After wrist surgery in the off-season Swan, who turns 30 this month, has spent much of his summer running, leading to suggestions he is leaner entering the 2014 season.
He says he isn't the only one who comes into the year optimistic, after sensing some comparisons in the lead-in to the club's 2010 premiership year.
"There is a little bit of a feeling of 2010 this pre-season. The boys have got pretty close and we've had a really good pre-season, just like every other club I suppose," Swan said.
"We're under no illusions it's going to be pretty hard to get back to where we want to be, but we certainly think we have the group to do what we want."
Swan said Lumumba had overcome doubts that he should play on.
"I think a couple of seasons back he was also thinking about whether football was for him but he's obviously found whatever he was looking for and he loves the place now," Swan said.
"He showed how important he was for us last year."
It wasn't all positive news for the Pies on Saturday, however, with young defender Adam Oxley heading to hospital for scans on an ankle injury.
Oxley, who played two games last year, was carried off the field on a stretcher during the club's intra-club match with a suspected fracture.
"He looks like he's hurt his ankle. It's maybe not as severe as we first thought, but we'll have to get a scan and get an update on that," Eade told collingwoodfc.com.au.
"We won't know until we get all the facts.
"He was playing well. It was disappointing. I thought he was a shining light early."
The Magpies played eight periods of nine minutes in Melbourne's heat on Saturday morning, with new forward recruit Jesse White impressing.
A virtual new recruit – Clinton Young – also showed signs of his best form on the wing having missed most of last year, his first season at Collingwood, with injury.
