UNTRIED Collingwood key defender Charlie Dean is set to return to full training when the Magpies' first-to-fourth-year players return for pre-season on Monday, following an injury-hit first season in the AFL. 

The 21-year-old managed only two VFL appearances this year due to two separate injuries on the same foot across 2022. 

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Dean was considered in the frame for a debut ahead of round one before suffering a stress fracture in his foot on the eve of the AAMI Community Series.

The mature-age recruit returned from that injury in late June and then suffered another setback, this time cracking a bone in his toe and damaging ligaments in his foot in just his second game back. 

Collingwood was initially hoping to regain Dean late in the season before he was eventually ruled out for the year.  

The 2021 Fothergill-Round-Mitchell Medal winner – Dean was the 15th successive winner to graduate to an AFL list – has now overcome the foot injuries that ruined his first season and is understood to be ready to start pre-season next week. 

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Dean completed a large chunk of his rehab program away from Melbourne during the off-season, spending a month in Europe and time in Perth. 

The second pick from last year's NAB AFL Rookie Draft spent some time working with the head physio at Leinster Rugby – one of the top rugby union sides in Ireland – during his time in Europe. 

While Collingwood recruited tall utility Billy Frampton from Adelaide during the Continental Tyres AFL Trade Period, the Magpies were light on for key backmen in 2022 after Irishman Mark Keane chose to remain home at the start of the year before Jordan Roughead retired mid-season due to injury issues. 

Nathan Murphy played the remaining 16 games of the campaign after returning from ankle surgery in round 10, but the Magpies are still searching for greater defensive depth to support star defender Darcy Moore, given veteran Jeremy Howe turns 33 next year and might be preparing for his final season in the game. 

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Murphy, Moore, Howe and Collingwood's senior group are scheduled to return for pre-season training on December 5. 

Dean will be aiming to bank a full summer on the track to put himself back in contention come round one next year.