COLLINGWOOD spearhead Anthony Rocca will need the Magpies to beat St Kilda next Saturday night if he is any chance of playing football again this year.

Rocca, 31, has not played since round 13 owing to an ankle injury, but is nearing availability after experiencing decided improvement in recent weeks.

However, the experienced goalkicker has already ruled himself out of playing next weekend and said he will need at least a preliminary finals appearance to get back this year.

"I'd be no chance next week but depending on how far we go, there's some sort of chance," he said, after the Magpies' spirited win over Adelaide on Saturday night.

"There's been rapid improvement over the last couple of weeks but before that it was quite slow.

"I tried to push it early and that didn't work so we had to back off for a little bit and now it's feeling pretty good."

Rocca emphasised how hard it has been to place a definitive return point for him this year, as the tricky injury has been difficult to gauge.

"All the things I've had done are healing, there were just a couple of little things that have kept it sore," he said.

"It's been a bit sore but I'm looking pretty good at the moment and feeling pretty good … whether I get back, I don't know.

"It's pretty much a day-to-day thing, a week-to-week thing, so we've just got to see how we go."

The 238-game player admitted he hadn't been running a great deal in recent weeks but believes he has maintained his fitness through gym and bike work.

While he conceded he'd love to find himself in the Magpies' line up this September, he is realistic the side's forward line – which is currently working well – might not need him.

"I'd be okay with coming straight in but theoretically, there might not be a spot," he said.

"If these boys keep performing their role and keep playing, it would probably be the wise option to keep playing someone who's got the form and endurance in his legs.

"I'm not going to sacrifice the team's success for myself to play."