"It was the first time I had been so I did not really know what to expect. Apparently it's the toughest one yet. It wasn't the funnest couple of weeks of my life I can tell you," said the 20-year-old from Wonthaggi on the eve of this week's NAB Cup opener.
Not that Blair is complaining. He knows the camp was just another new challenge, one of many he will face in the coming years, each important steps in his gradual development.
While all eyes are trained on Collingwood's mature-aged recruits Chris Tarrant and Andrew Krakouer, continued improvement in players such as Blair (rookie listed last year) will be necessary if Collingwood is to match expectations in 2011 and beyond.
With two years at the club behind him, his start has been ideal. He slotted into the forward press in round 14, missing just one game as the Magpies surged toward the flag.
By year's end the 20-year-old had played in four finals, including two Grand Finals, and had his name etched in Collingwood history, party to the self-described Party Pies.
He was a Collingwood premiership player at the end of just 12 games. His attitude was exemplary and his poise under pressure underestimated by many.
In the past 20 years just eight players have played fewer games than Blair before playing in a premiership. The list of eight is a mixed bag, including Aaron Keating (Adelaide premiership after three games - career games six), Richard Hadley (Brisbane Lions: four - 66), Shannon Motlop (North Melbourne: seven - 64), Brent Renouf (Hawthorn: eight - 45*), Ben Marsh (Adelaide: nine - 55), Simon Goodwin (Adelaide: 10 - 275), Cameron Mooney (North Melbourne: 11 - 213* ) and Chad Rintoul (Adelaide: 11 - 76).
If anything, their progress shows nothing in football is guaranteed.
One thing is for certain, Blair is not one to rest on his laurels. He spoke to sports science director David Buttifant at the start of the pre-season to work out his program, knowing he needed to get fitter if he wanted to play in the midfield.
"I’ve put on a couple of kilograms and went to Arizona hoping to build my aerobic base. Since returning I've got stuck into the weights, doing some dead lifting to get a bit quicker and stronger through the core."
Blair's agility and precise disposal are great assets, particularly in a game where the time and space available for a player to execute his skills is tightening. He was very good at finding a teammate inside 50 and averaged one goal assist a game.
His attitude is first class and smart enough to heed an early pre-season message the coach, Mick Malthouse, delivered to the group. "He (Malthouse) spoke to everyone and made sure everyone had a level head. He has got a lot of experience so he spoke about his playing days and how you can win it one year and not even make the finals the next year," said Blair.
"He said no-one is safe in their position and if you want your spot in the side you need to be playing good footy every week and be pretty hungry."
Malthouse, of course, was a member of Richmond's 1980 premiership team that tumbled to 7th in 1981. The Tigers have not won a flag since.
Collingwood players know the coach's words are not idle. But Blair also knows from last year's experience that if he plays the role asked of him the coaches will support him.
In 2011 he expects to continue to play as a forward who is part of the midfield rotation. Occasionally Blair will be thrown into the stoppages as an inside player to give teammate Luke Ball some relief from the bang-crash style that is his brand. It's all part of his development.
Blair will also inherit the No.11 left vacant by the hard-working former Collingwood midfielder Shane O’Bree. It's just another spur for him to continue to improve.
"It was a pleasant surprise because he was somebody I looked up to while I was at the club and hopefully I will do him proud."
Two former players he already does proud - his grandfather John O'Mahoney (112 games with Hawthorn) and uncle John Blair (33 games with South Melbourne, Fitzroy and St Kilda) - will be watching again with interest.
He talks to both regularly and O'Mahoney jots down a couple of things for his grandson to concentrate on at the start of each season. "I enjoy that," Blair said.
* still playing
