EXCITING Collingwood forward Jamie Elliott believes he can play football this season after back surgery.

He hasn't lined up for a game in 2016 and went under the knife two weeks ago for an injury known as pars defect, which is a defect of the lumbar vertebra in the spine.

Elliott, 23, told the club's website he will wear a back brace for another four weeks before he begins running.

"I'm not going to throw the season out of the window," Elliott said.

"Obviously it's been tough the last few months with what I've gone through. I've lost a lot of fitness and conditioning, so I'm going to have to get that back.

"Whether I can get that back in six weeks without having any pain, or do we go conservative and let it heal a little bit longer, just in case? So it's a hard one.

"We'll have to take it probably a couple of weeks at a time … but I'm not going to say that I can't play footy at the end of this year, because I know it's a possibility."

The Magpie suffered bone stress in his back against Port Adelaide in round 15 last year. He missed two games before playing out the season.

He was in prime physical condition until the problem flared up.

"When we came back in December, and I went for a set shot, and I felt my right side just, I don't know, it was a weird feeling, it was a sharp pain, like someone stabbing me in the back," Elliott said.

"We had a scan and it showed more bone stress."

Elliot rested it up but more discomfort later in the pre-season meant he went to have a CT scan.

"We had a look at the bone, and it showed a crack in my right side, which was what was clarified as a pars defect," he said.

He originally hoped rest would be the solution but surgery was ultimately decided upon.

Fellow forward Alex Fasolo has a fractured scapula and is expected to miss another three weeks. 

Collingwood is in 14th spot on the ladder and has a bye this week.