COLLINGWOOD utility Tyson Goldsack is willing to miss part of the NAB Challenge if it means finally overcoming a frustrating battle with knee tendinitis.
Goldsack is still managing the issue after being restricted to just two of the Magpies' final 10 games in 2015.
The 28-year-old underwent surgery late last season, but the problem continues to restrict his pre-season workload.
Goldsack "pulled up a little bit lame" during the Pies' training camp on Monday, limiting him to conditioning exercises on the sidelines while his teammates sweated it out in the Sunshine Coast heat.
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"I probably didn't get as much of a load in the legs as I would have hoped," Goldsack said.
"As frustrating as it is, we've just got to stay true to the timeline that we're working towards and hopefully it gets better sooner rather than later.
"Hopefully it won't be ongoing. What we're trying to achieve is to get it to a point where it's not going to come back. If you try and push it too hard now then it rears up its ugly head again mid-season and we're no better than what we were last year.
"We've got to try and knock it on the head now. If it means missing a couple of NAB games then so be it, I'll just play when I can play."
The Pies sorely missed the 193cm swingman's versatility and experience late last season as they slumped from an 8-3 record to miss finals for the second-straight year.
Expectations are building on Nathan Buckley's men after an off-season recruiting spree netted GWS star Adam Treloar, Melbourne high-flyer Jeremy Howe and Brisbane Lions youngster James Aish.
"There's no secret we're trying to make finals – and push deep into finals. There's no use just making seventh or eighth just to fill in numbers. We're here to make a statement," Goldsack said.
"The ultimate goal is always to win a premiership, we've never taken our eyes off that. It just hasn't gone our way the last two years."
The Pies end will wrap up their week-long training camp on Friday before returning to Melbourne as the countdown continues to their NAB Challenge opener against Geelong on February 26.
