A SPOT in Collingwood's NAB Cup opener would not only spell closure for Alan Toovey's recovery from a broken foot.

The pre-season fixture, while not a regular home and away AFL match, would also give the West Australian the chance to play his first game for the Pies on home soil.

Collingwood meets the West Coast Eagles on February 7 at Subiaco Oval – a ground Toovey knows well enough from a couple of WAFL finals there earlier in his career.

Elevated from the Magpies' rookie list at the end of 2006, he has longed to return to his home state wearing the black-and-white stripes.

"I nearly debuted back home," Toovey recalled of his first steps into senior AFL football.

"I flew over and I was going play. It was meant to be a wet day but it turned out dry so they (the Magpies) put another ruckman in instead of me.

"It doesn't really matter because I played the next week anyway [but it would have been nice to play at home]."

Toovey's debut came in round three, 2007, and he has since managed 17 games – most of them as either a defender or in run-with roles.

More could have come if it not for injury, including a much-anticipated trip west to run out in front of the people who helped him realise his AFL dream.

After working his way back into the side late last year, it looked as though Toovey would be catching a flight to Perth with his Magpie mates. But again, luck turned against him.

Playing through considerable pain in the round-21 win over the Sydney Swans won special praise from coach Mick Malthouse, however, Toovey’s season came to an end that night. It also meant a finals series spent on the sidelines.

"I snapped the fifth metatarsal just right on the edge," he said. "I stood on someone's foot and, as I moved off it, it just cracked."

Toovey had to have a pin inserted to help hold the bones together and an enforced lay-off of almost 10 weeks meant a slower start to his pre-season; not something an emerging player wants just as he feels he's getting the hang of things.

"It's been fairly slow … I've been gradually just building it up and now I’m back into 100 per cent, so it’s feeling pretty good," Toovey said.

"When the boys were over at Arizona, there was a group of us back here [training].

"So I started building up slowly just with my jogging and stuff, and then by Christmas I was back to 70 or 80 per cent. Over the last couple of weeks I've been back to 100 [per cent].

"So it's taken a while but it’s been good because I haven’t had any worries with it at all."

Back into full training, the former Claremont junior is confident of being able to put it all together.

He has added four kilograms to his 189cm frame, and feels as confident as ever that he is ready to tackle the weekly rigours of top-level footy.

"I kind of know what I need to be doing and how fit I need to be and how quick I need to be with my hands and where my skills need to be," he said.

"So if I can get it all right I reckon I can be playing every week. It’s just a matter of getting everything right at the same time and playing well, feeling good."

Toovey managed a half of last week’s scratch match and hopes to increase his workload in the club's next intra-club hit-out.

If he can get through that then maybe a date with the Eagles beckons.

"It’ll be a big bench, too [with NAB Cup rules] so it might work in my favour," he said.