MISSING Magpie Jamie Elliott suspects he will shed a tear when he takes the ground for Collingwood's pre-season opener against Essendon.

And his teammate Taylor Adams believes the 24-year-old will be jumping out of his skin when the time comes to run onto Etihad Stadium next Thursday.

Adams told RSN he was confident Elliott would be back to his best in 2017 after "not missing a beat" since returning to full training.

Debilitating back problems that led to surgery forced the promising Magpie to miss all of last season and left him uncertain as to how this pre-season might play out.

"To be honest, I didn't know what was going to happen [with my injury]," Elliott said. 

"I had good days and bad days. I still do, but I am finding a way to manage my back in terms of preparation and recovery leading into training sessions." 

Elliott spoke to Collingwood's Facebook audience immediately after completing his first hit-out for more than 12 months, kicking two goals and putting in a strong performance in the Magpies' intraclub at the Holden Centre. 

"I still woke up this morning pretty nervous," he admitted. 

"I didn't shed a tear or anything but I'm sure when it comes to the JLT Community Series in round one … when I walk out on the ground there will be a tear flowing."

Elliott said he had undergone a slow build, ramping his training up just before Australia Day but he remains conscious of listening to his body when mapping out his program. 

He has a day off between main training sessions and is prepared to back off the work if it will benefit his body. 

The Magpies are excited about the prospect of Elliott joining Alex Fasolo and Darcy Moore inside 50, with the trio having only played eight games together.

"His forward pressure is something we really value as a club," Adams said of Elliott.

Although Elliott was uncertain how many pre-season games he would play before round one, Collingwood is expected to take strong sides into each game.