COLLINGWOOD vice-captain Scott Pendlebury says he can't wait to work with new midfield coach Robert Harvey after spending his formative years as an AFL player closely watching the dual Brownlow medallist.

Harvey was one of many additions to Collingwood's coaching panel over the past few months, along with Rodney Eade (director of coaching), Ben Hart (defence), Mitch Hahn (offensive development coach) and Dale Tapping (midfield development coach).

Pendlebury, who made his debut in 2006 and played in the final three seasons of Harvey's illustrious 21-year career, said he hoped the former Saint's work ethic would rub off on the players.

"I was really happy to get someone like 'Harvs' down. I've played against him and even in his twilight years he was a brilliant player," Pendlebury said on Tuesday, a day after the one-to-seven-year Pies returned to training.

"It's going to be a great opportunity for all us midfielders to seek him out and find out what made him tick and what he focused on, because to play at such a high standard like he did for so long has got to be a motivating factor for all us midfielders."

After winning the club's Copeland Trophy in October, Pendlebury credited new coach Nathan Buckley as a huge influence in helping take his game to another level in 2011.

On Tuesday, he said Buckley and Harvey were two players the young Pies were instructed to idolise when they started at the club.

"When we first started with our development program and Alan Richardson was there, we used to go to a lot of football games and watch players," he said.

"We watched 'Bucks', Robert Harvey, Simon Black, Michael Voss, those sorts of guys.

"Harvs was one I watched a couple of times and he was a phenomenal worker and that's something that no doubt he'll pass on to us guys and make sure that we're doing our job."

Pendlebury spent the majority of his break overseas, visiting Mexico, Miami, New York and Los Angeles.

He said the Pies' 38-point Grand Final loss to Geelong had inspired such a long trip away.

"The first couple of weeks [post-match] were quite different. Last year there was a lot of celebration and this year it was, get out of town as quick as you can and get away and relax," he said.

"The first couple of weeks you're just looking for answers a little bit and when you go overseas you just want to enjoy your time off because you don't get that long and before you know it you're back into pre-season."

But, he said the players were no longer dwelling on the lost opportunity and were focussed on 2012.

"We can't get it back, so we've got to move on and we don't want to be stewing over the loss last year too much because we've got a whole new campaign to start," he said.

"We've got a whole new coaching staff, a lot of new faces and they weren't a part of it last year.

"They're more looking forward to 2012."

Pendlebury signed a one-year contract extension in May this year, which leaves him open to potential approaches from Greater Western Sydney given the incoming club has another 12 months to lure uncontracted players.

He said he had not thought about what lay ahead with negotiations and speculation, and would leave it up his manager Liam Pickering to deal with.

"I haven't really thought about it, to be honest," he said.

"I'm not going to let it distract my main goal, which is my football.

"It's up to my manager and football club to work something out and my focus now is up until the Christmas break getting a really solid pre-season in because I'm not going to worry about that sort of stuff.

"It can all change pretty quickly if I don't get a kick next year."