THERE are several things that excite Collingwood coach Mick Malthouse this year.

The first comes in the form of the forced changes to the side – namely, the shift in leadership and the replacement of the retired Nathan Buckley, James Clement and Paul Licuria.

"We've got some big shoes to fill, and I've always believed that a football club or any organisation revolves around numbers," Malthouse said at the club's season launch and Hall of Fame dinner at Crown Palladium on Monday night.

"As much as boots are going to be filled with another No.5, a No.8 and a No.18, they will be different players.

"Burnsy [Scott Burns] brings something different, Josh [Fraser] will bring something different to the game and the three deputies will bring something different.

"The younger players coming up will fill the roles of the players last year and will be different. Will they be better? Probably in the early stages, they're going to develop."

Malthouse said there was heightened and infectious eagerness that was influenced only by keen kids desperate to make an impression at the senior level. 

"The enthusiasm shown last year by these young fellas just bring something else to the side, and one of the things about any sport is that it's in the eyes," he said.

"You look at the eyes and you see the way people train and the way they go about their business, and there's no stand up and be photographed here; it's in the actions that they do on the field.

"One of the great things about being in sport as long as I have is that it's competition that drives people. I see it in the eyes of these players led by the leaders and the leadership group, and we have wonderful leaders outside the leadership group too."

And finally, there's the determination shown by players like Simon Prestigiacomo, who has recently undergone foot surgery at the age of 30 and will miss a large portion of the season, that ensures the veteran coach is enthused by his players' collective resolve. 

"It's probably pretty easy for a bloke who's 30 to think, 'Well, I'll just get over this injury', because he can see his football life finishing," Malthouse said.

"The way he's conducted himself with trying to get back with the massive amount of pain he carried through that pre-season, and he broke down and we had to get him operated on again, so he'll miss the first half a dozen weeks or so.

"We'll probably blood three or four players from last year, like Jack Anthony, Nathan Brown and Chris Dawes, and the players from this year that have been drafted.

"There's no question in my mind that Cameron Wood is going to be as good as any first round pick this year. We're delighted that he's been so good in the practice matches.

"All up, the pressure being put on our players in phenomenal."

Malthouse believes the combination of Burns as captain and the increasing amount of competitiveness between the players will contribute to the Pies' success this year.

He also considers last year's near-miss on a Grand Final berth will be enough to keep the players hungry.

"A player of 33 putting his hand up to be one of the leaders; you don't do it if you don't think that you're going to play finals football," he said.

"The driving and the most motivating thing is to not just going through another year and finishing 9th to 16th, but to drive yourself into the eight and be better than last year and come away with something tangible.

"The thing I like about the players is there's a massive challenge for positions. The camaraderie is built up through that, through South Africa and the training camp, which was outstanding.

"That was competitive, and the practice matches were competitive, and Browny's [Gavin Brown, VFL coach] group is highly competitive in trying to make sure our young seconds side is competitive.

"That's the thing that drives people around the organisation. Just to see that last year, one of the great things to come out of that is that outside of one game, we were in the contest right until the end.

"When you look at the results from last year and you see the players that participated; that's what gives you the great energy to keep going."