JEREMY Howe will continue to train forward, even though he knows he will play back.

It sounds strange, yes. But there's method behind Collingwood's madness.

Howe raised eyebrows last week when, in the midst of the Pies' scoring woes, he was captured at the side's main session training alongside the forward group. The speculation over where he'd play amplified when Craig McRae then refused to commit to the veteran's exact location in his line-up.

It almost came as more of a surprise that Howe then played against Carlton in his customary position down back. Well, more of a surprise to basically everyone except for Howe. All week, the message had been the same. Train forward, play back.

"It will be like that for the next three or four weeks as well," Howe tells AFL.com.au.

At least for now, Howe will remain as a defender. Even though he'll keep training as a forward. The reasons are fitness-related, with the 35-year-old well aware his body isn't conditioned to the more sporadic movements involved with being a forward. So, if the coach needs to throw caution to the wind, he wants Howe prepared for it.

"I knew the narrative around it. But personally, I knew I was playing back," Howe says.

"'Fly' is not really one to sit still on things, he's always looking to change things based on what looks good and what kind of mix we want down there and who do we want down there. I've obviously been thrown down there multiple times under his tenure and I don't mind it, I'm happy to do it, but there's been a couple of times where I've gone down there and I've pinged something.

"For me, movement in front of the ball is completely different to behind the ball. I'm grateful I get to sit out the back and I'm rallying the troops and telling them where to go, but my movement is a little bit different. I go forward and it's like a dog in a butcher's shop. You're going up, back, left, right, block, lead, back to goal.

"I just said to 'Fly', if you want me to play forward at some stage then I need to train there. I need to get conditioned to moving like a forward again. I'm not going to lose my patterning behind the ball, but if I can train as a forward and still play back then at least I'm conditioned to play forward and I'm not just getting thrown down there desperately to try and get a score. It's the best of both worlds."

Howe's body has been a point of contention at Collingwood recently. After two successive calf injuries across the summer – the veteran estimates they were the 12th and 13th calf injuries of his career – the Magpies have completely revamped his weights program to strengthen his problematic soft tissues.

Last year, the problems related to his adductor. Having been firmly in All-Australian contention midway through his 15th AFL season, Howe was then substituted out of four consecutive games to finish the campaign. The run saw him struggle with a minor adductor issue, then a concussion, before tearing his adductor off the bone in a blow that almost ruined his finals hopes. That alone has led to his new training position.

"It's the change of direction, the explosive movements," Howe says.

"Because I've got the luxury of sitting deep in defence, a lot of the time everything is in front of me. I'm positioning guys to hopefully maintain where I need to stand. If I'm making plays or desperately running back to goal, then something's happened and I've let something slip in front of me.

"As a forward, you've got to be creative. You have to create your own space, you have to move, you have to block for someone else. Your workrate completely shifts. If I was 27 still, throw me forward. It wouldn't matter, I could do that. Being 35, pushing 36, the movement is a lot different. I need to work on that.

"We've trialled it and I've failed with my body. I did a groin at the end of a first quarter, just purely because I get excited and it's something different and I'm running back and forward but I'm not used to it. You do a similar amount of running, but it's how you use your energy. It's completely different."

Fitness is clearly front of mind for Howe. Set to turn 36 in June, he knows he can't afford another serious one.

"I'm only one more significant injury away from potentially not playing again," he says.

His recent run of setbacks, particularly late last year, have been a constant reminder that the end is now closer to the finish.

Having eventually earned a one-year extension to play on last August, Howe has remained in continued dialogue with McRae, chief executive Craig Kelly and list boss Justin Leppitsch ever since. He's well aware of the reality that this year could be his 16th and final season in the AFL system.

"I think about it a bit," Howe says.

"The conversations have already started around here about what the team needs. I've always said to 'Fly' and even to 'Ned' and 'Leppa', I'll never put myself in a position where you're picking between me and someone younger.

"My role right now, there's a responsibility for me to educate these young guys coming through. I'm looking at someone like Reef McInnes. If I'm getting in the way of his development to be able to perform at the highest level then I feel like it would be time to handball it over.

"If we're in the window and I'm performing and I feel like I'm going well, then that's a tougher conversation. But if I feel like my value in the team is not where it needs to be, then it's an easy decision to get out of the way.

"The thing about this club and what they do well is we constantly chat about it. There will be no surprises. If I am to finish, then I'll know. If there's conversations to be had at the end of the year about playing on, then I'll also have those."

But life after footy is bright for Howe. Having already completed his coaching degrees up to the AFL's Level 3 certificate, the 275-gamer is already widely recognised in footy circles as a future coach in waiting. But, according to him, assistant only.

"I'm not mad enough to be a head coach," he laughs.

The new Tasmania team could even provide that opportunity for the Hobart-born Howe. With links to the Devils – he was brought to Collingwood by Tasmania's recruiting manager Derek Hine and retains a strong relationship with the club's potential maiden coach in Nathan Buckley – a move 'home' makes a lot of sense.

"It's always appealing," Howe says.

"For where they're going to start up in 2028, there's no chance I'm playing then. But to be affiliated to a place that's going to be built from the ground up, being from there, it definitely is appealing. It's something that you think about, there's no doubt.

"Brendon Gale being there, I feel like that was a crucial appointment. That will help get good people there and will attract people there. 'Dekka' has obviously gone there, I catch up with 'Bucks' once a month as well. There are connection points there already.

"But just being part of that, especially in its early stages, would be really appealing. All options will be on the table, no doubt, because I definitely won't be playing. But I certainly would not be ruling that out."

But for now, Collingwood is Howe's top priority. Whether he finishes up in 2026 or beyond, one of the game's best highlight machines is focused purely on helping to get the Magpies back into premiership contention.

That doesn't mean it's not time to reflect, though. Of the 30-odd Mark of the Year nominations Howe has produced throughout his career, he names his high-flying effort against Port Adelaide in Darwin from 2012 as the best grab he's ever taken. That, according to him, even tops his Queen's Birthday mark or his famous 'How Did He Do That?' leap against Sydney.

"It was probably the one in Darwin," Howe says. "Just the degree of difficulty, it was sweaty as and you're taking it over Alipate Carlile and Stef Martin, who are two giants. It was like jumping on trees. And it stuck."

So, has he got another special moment in store before he calls stumps? You bet.

"I've got one left in me," Howe says. "I'll definitely have a crack. I won't die wondering."