COLLINGWOOD players didn't attempt to talk teammate Leon Davis out of his decision to leave the club, says Magpie Chris Dawes.

Davis rejected a contract extension with the Pies last month, wanting to play in either his native Western Australia or South Australia, where his partner lives, in 2012.

Dawes said the players knew the 30-year-old had always felt a pull from his home state.

"I don't think it was our place to [talk him out of the decision],” Dawes said.

"He's got to make that decision for himself and there would have been no doubt in his mind how much his teammates care about him, or his former teammates cared about him and valued him," Dawes said on Tuesday as the club's one-to-seven-year players took on the girls from Malvern Primary School in the final of the Westpac Cup.

"It's not our place to be trying to talk him out of making a decision that he's got to make personally.

"It was a surprise, and probably disappointing for me because I really enjoy his company and he's a valuable teammate but that said, I can completely understand why it's been that way.

"It's probably been lingering for most of the time he was out of contract, there was always that 'go home' factor and now he's getting a bit older and probably focusing on his family even more, you can see why he's made that decision."

Vice-captain Scott Pendlebury said the players didn't sense Davis had decided to leave the Magpies during the season, and were away on holidays when he made the decision. 

"It's sad to see Leon go but at the same time the lure of moving home was pretty strong for a while," Pendlebury said.

"He's been an excellent servant for Collingwood and I just wish him and his family all the best.

"He was a fantastic player for Collingwood and I'm sure whoever picks him up are going to get a fantastic player."

Davis isn't the only Magpie wanting to return to WA, with 23-year-old forward Brad Dick electing to seek opportunities at home.

Dick, who endured two shoulder and two knee reconstructions in the past four years, was training with the Pies after being delisted and was a chance to join their rookie list.

He is now training with Fremantle after his homesickness was bad enough to warrant an attempt to restart his career in the west.

"He's had terrible luck with injuries and he's worked so hard for so long to get back and it's got to wear you down mentally," Pendlebury said of Dick.

"I've never been through it but I can only imagine that being in the club every day by yourself, working out while the guys are doing what you love and playing games of football.

"We wish him all the best, I think he's training with Freo so hopefully he gets a spot there and gets his body right because he can play senior football."

Meanwhile, Dawes has spoken about his own injury battles this season with a knuckle injury sustained in round 15 against Hawthorn severely affecting his lead-up to the finals.

The 23-year-old missed seven games with the broken joint and struggled for consistency when he returned in round 23 against Fremantle.

"I probably didn't realise how tough it would be to overcome. When I hurt the hand, I was told it would be four to six weeks," Dawes said.

"I thought when that time period was over, if I'd ticked all the boxes rehab-wise then I was going to be able to come back and make an impact.

"I just wasn't able to. I was pretty terrible, especially for the first few weeks I was back, so I've learned a lot from that experience.

"It was disappointing and I didn't realise how hard it would be to overcome from a physical point of view but also just emotionally, it probably hit me at the end of the year how much I'd invested in it and how exhausted I really was come the end of the year."

Dawes has since had an ankle clean up and will start running in a few weeks.

He said he had no interest in watching a replay of the Magpies' losing Grand Final against Geelong, where he failed to kick a goal, unless the coaches chose to use it as a learning tool.

"I'd taken a bit of a beating in my first few weeks upon return and come finals, after the prelim final, I was up and about and I felt I'd finally started to make an impact again," he said.

"I was expecting to play well in the Grand Final and that didn't really eventuate.

"In terms of emotion, I think I'm better off moving on from [the Grand Final]. It hurt but there's no point dwelling on it; it would do more harm than good and I'm better off attacking the next season with vigour."