FOR THE second year running, Collingwood midfielder Dane Swan says another mid-season break - and burst of sunshine - has him re-energised and motivated for the second half of the season.

Swan, 28, missed the Pies' round nine win over Adelaide and their subsequent defeat of Gold Coast with a hamstring injury, and then had one game back against Melbourne before the bye.

The Pies then headed to Port Douglas for a light training camp, designed for a physical and mental refreshment.

Since returning from the hamstring, Swan has had 42, 38 and 43 touches in the team's wins over Melbourne, West Coast and Fremantle.

There are startling comparisons to the way Swan came back from last year's quad injury where he recovered in the Arizona sun.

Swan was sent to the US for a burst of altitude training with Brent Macaffer, Darren Jolly and Nathan Brown, who were also recovering from injuries.

He missed the Pies' round 12 clash with Melbourne and then their bye, and returned to collect 33 touches against the Sydney Swans.

He then went on to play every game - and win the Brownlow Medal after picking up 21 of his 34 votes in the following 10 matches.

"It would be nice to have a break in the middle of the season every year," Swan told AFL.com.au after the Pies' 29-point win over Fremantle on Saturday.

"I really can't explain it. It's probably good to freshen up.

"Not many people go into a game 100 per cent this time of the year.

"I clearly didn't want to do my hammy but in a way, it might have been a blessing in disguise.

"I probably would have missed at some stage for a rest anyway but to get two weeks off and come back, have a bye, go up and get some sun, it's done wonders for me personally.

"I'm re-energised and hopefully we have 13 games left that I can improve [on] with the side and be playing my best footy in September, just like the side."

Against Fremantle, the Pies started with a bang but lacked consistency across the game and allowed the visitors to claw their 40-point lead back to 17 in the second and third quarters.

Swan said the players and coaches were aware of their deficiencies and planned for improvement, starting with the next three weeks.

"We'll be the first to admit we're not playing perfect footy," he said.

"We're clearly going to take a win at this time of the year but we've got three pretty massive games coming up now [against Carlton, Geelong and Hawthorn].

"We'll review the last couple of games and see where we're going wrong. We're playing good footy in patches so if we get a good four-quarter effort over the next three weeks it will hold us in good stead so it will be a massive challenge for us.

"We'll see where we're at."

The views in this article are those of the author and not necessarily those of the AFL or its clubs.

Jennifer Witham is a reporter for AFL Media. Follow her on Twitter @AFL_JenWitham.