Clancee Pearce believes he has shaken off the injury issues that plagued his 2014 season and is desperate to return to his best in 2015.

The skilled defender could only manage nine games last year and did not play AFL at all after round 17.

He had played 43 games in Ross Lyon’s first two seasons at the club.

Pearce said he’d done everything he could over the off-season break to ensure he returned in good shape for pre-season.

“I had a few injuries at the back end of last year, I’ve got rid of all them,” he said.

“I’ve come back reasonably fit. I didn’t have a break. I just trained through the break and came back pretty fit.”

He was also pleased with his results in the club’s 3km time trial in early December.

“I thought I ran pretty well,” Pearce said.

“Obviously Matt de Boer and Tendai Mzungu ran very well, but I thought I was pretty good.”

The 24-year-old said the pre-season was different this year, just as senior coach Ross Lyon had predicted on Doig Medal night last year.

“In previous years we’ve been nursed into pre-season with a few shorter drills,” Pearce said.

“We’ve been chucked in the deep end with full-ground drills. It’s been full on.”