Recalled Wallabies lock Mark Chisholm admitted he needed the shock of being dropped after becoming too comfortable and doubted he would get a better opportunity to win his Test spot back than the coming spring tour.

With Dan Vickerman and James Horwill unavailable, Chisholm has a chance to re-establish his international credentials after missing out on Australia's first nine Tests of the year.

Named in the first squad under new coach Robbie Deans, Chisholm was chosen in the A team rather than the Test side.

He was subsequently sidelined by a bout of chickenpox and had to rejig his game in club rugby after being overlooked for the Tri-Nations program.

The Brumbies forward had been a near permanent squad member over the three previous seasons, during which he won 34 of his 35 Test caps.

With Vickerman opting out of Australia to study in England and Horwill injured, Chisholm will vie for the vacant spots with veteran lock Nathan Sharpe and second/back rowers Hugh McMeniman and Dean Mumm.

"I don't think you get a much better opportunity than this, the two number one locks not being on the tour," Chisholm told AAP at the start of the squad's second pre-tour camp in Sydney.

"Really the door is wide open for a bunch of our blokes. If we take that lightly, you really shouldn't be here."

His demotion came as a shock to the powerfully built Brumby, who entered the year genuinely believing it would be the season he finally established himself as a starter, after backing up Sharpe and Vickerman for most of the last three campaigns.

"I really do think looking back on it now, I was probably a little bit too comfortable with where I stood," Chisholm said.

"In saying that, previous coaches have said to me it's all about time, you've got to do your apprenticeship first.

"To tell you the truth, at the start of this year, I thought this was my time, time for me to step up, but I'm glad it's worked out this way.

"It's given me a new inspiration to get where I want to go.

"I really needed that shake-up to say `look mate, you're not as good as you (think you) are, you really need to work on these areas," so I'm grateful with how it's gone."

With instruction from the Wallabies brains trust and the help of Brumbies coaches Andy Friend and Owen Finegan, Chisholm modified his approach in a three-month stint with Sydney club Randwick.

"It was more the aggressiveness at the breakdown, getting more involved in defensive rucks, as well as being pretty much a pest around the field," Chisholm said.

"Also working more on being a dominant forward."

Used occasionally as a blindside flanker, Chisholm would prefer to stay at lock permanently unless given an extended run as a back rower. No replacement for Horwill has been named, though lock Peter Kimlin joined the squad this week along with fellow Brumbies, halfback Josh Holmes and flanker Julian Salvi, to help make the numbers up at training.

In one positive fitness development, No.8 Wycliff Palu re-entered camp without the knee brace he needed last week.

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