Collingwood recruited him to bolster their experience, but former North Melbourne defender Leigh Brown admits to feeling like a teenager ahead of his Magpies debut.

The 26-year-old, with 181 matches to his name at Fremantle and the Kangaroos, trails only Anthony Rocca, Shane O'Bree, Simon Prestigiacomo and Tarkyn Lockyer among his new teammates for AFL games played.

But Brown, relieved to have been given a lifeline by the Magpies after his axing by North, said in some ways it felt like his career was starting over.

"I feel like one of the young kids again," Brown said.

"When you go to the club you go through all the ins and outs of the club, getting to know where everything is and how everything works, so I've been doing everything with all the young guys.

"It really puts a spring back in your step, hanging around with guys like Steele Sidebottom and Dayne Beams and those guys who are young 18-year-olds."

New draftees Sidebottom and Beams, like Brown, were selected in the squad to play in Saturday night's AFL pre-season opener against West Coast at Subiaco.

And Brown said he would be no different to those youngsters in needing to use the pre-season to fight to establish himself in the side.

"At this stage it's just head down, bum up, train as hard as you can and put your best foot forward," he said.

"I don't think there's any guarantees for anyone, we've got a really healthy list, not many injuries.

"The depth is really fantastic at Collingwood, we're really excited and I guess that makes everyone step up their game because there's pressure on everyone's position and anyone can play at any given time."

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