Nathan Buckley neatly surmised the depth of Collingwood's playing list when he addressed the media two months ago.

"There's going to be massive competition for spots," Buckley warned.

"Fans and media sit down and pick their best Collingwood 22. I reckon we go down to 32 or 33 already."

The numbers mooted by Buckley in mid-January have swelled already courtesy of the performances of several rookies during the pre-season competition.

There's good reason for it, too, as National Recruiting Manager Derek Hine explained to collingwoodfc.com.au prior to the December Rookie Draft.

"Because we're carrying 38 players on the primary list, it gives us the scope to have two nominated rookies, of which one we've committed to Ben Hudson, and it creates competition within the rest of the boys as to who the extra rookie will be," said Hine.

"We don't need to name either nominated rookie until March, and then have scope mid-season to nominate another rookie. We've also got the scope if there's a long-term injury."

So Hudson aside, none of the rookies has any guarantees ahead of the cut-off date on 19 March.

Of the nine rookies, seven have featured at different stages during the NAB Cup. Collingwoodfc.com.au has surmised each player's performance and their likely role once the season commences.

25. Ben Hudson
NAB Cup Games: 2
NAB Cup Stats: 7 kicks, 4 handballs, 11 possessions, 4 marks, 9 hitouts, 0 tackles
Likely Role: The way Collingwood's coaching staff (of which Hudson himself is actually a part of as ruck coach) use the ruckman will be intriguing. With Brodie Grundy at least eight weeks away from playing senior football due to a back injury, Collingwood has three fit ruckmen to call upon. Darren Jolly is the established number one ruckman while 20-year-old Jarrod Witts is still very much a work in progress. Where this leaves Hudson on the eve of the home and away season is yet to be determined, but Nathan Buckley can rest easy knowing he has experienced reinforcement up his sleeve.

37. Kyle Martin
NAB Cup Games: 3
NAB Cup Stats: 21 kicks, 13 handballs, 34 possessions, 10 marks, 6 tackles
Likely Role: Has the capacity to add to Collingwood's midfield in both an inside and outside role. In only three games, Martin has shown a knack of hunting down the ball at the stoppages. He is also a thumping kick and marks well for his size, meaning he may have the potential to slot into Sharrod Wellingham's midfield role of years gone by.

38. Peter Yagmoor
NAB Cup Games: 2
NAB Cup Stats: 6 kicks, 5 handballs, 11 possessions, 1 mark, 2 tackles
Likely Role: Now on the rookie list after spending 2012 in the senior squad, Yagmoor has made inroads during his second pre-season. Playing across half back, Yagmoor's foot skills stood out during the first NAB Cup fixture against Essendon and the Western Bulldogs. He was an emergency against West Coast and Brisbane and performed well in defence in last Saturday's VFL practice match against Essendon.

41. Sam Dwyer
NAB Cup Games: 4
NAB Cup Stats: 17 kicks, 11 handballs, 28 possessions, 7 marks, 2 tackles
Likely Role: At the age of 26, Dwyer is entering the prime of his football career. He has split his NAB Cup time between the midfield and the forward line where his ball winning nous and love for the contested ball have helped complement the likes of Jarryd Blair and Jamie Elliott. After being overlooked in eight successive National Drafts, Dwyer's hunger to make the best of his opportunity will shine through, no matter what level he plays at.

43. Adam Oxley
NAB Cup Games: 2
NAB Cup Stats: 11 kicks, 1 handball, 12 possessions, 3 marks, 1 tackle
Likely Role: A rangy key position prospect who appears to have settled at half back. Began his first NAB Cup outing against the Eagles as a substitute but received more game time the second time around, gathering eight disposals in the loss to Brisbane. At 20 years of age, Oxley has been on Collingwood's recruiting radar for some time and, on the basis of his NAB Cup and intra-club form, senior exposure may not be beyond him this year.

45. Jack Frost
NAB Cup Games: 4
NAB Cup Stats: 10 kicks, 9 handballs, 19 possessions, 6 marks, 11 tackles
Likely Role: A revelation at centre half back during the pre-season competition. Has shown a willingness to back himself in the air against opponents the calibre of Dean Cox and Patrick Ryder and his 11 tackles (six against the Eagles) illustrate his hunger for the contest. Frost has exhibited deceptive closing speed over the last five metres and has looked more assured with ball in hand each passing week.

48. Caolan Mooney
NAB Cup Games: 3
NAB Cup Stats: 11 kicks, 7 handballs, 18 possessions, 4 marks, 7 tackles
Likely Role: Retained on the rookie list after four senior games in his debut season. Mooney looks set to continue his career at half forward where his lightning pace has made him a hazard for opponents. Has begun to make an impact on the scoreboard in recent weeks, snagging two goals against the Eagles and one against the Lions.

Yet To Play
Key position duo Ben Richmond and Michael Hartley are the only rookies to have missed out on a NAB Cup berth thus far. Hartley has been absent due to a shoulder injury that will require another 4-6 weeks on the sidelines. Richmond, meanwhile, has not played football since his early teenage years down in Tasmania. He was given exposure to senior football during the two intra-club matches at Victoria Park where he played a range of key positions and spent some time in the ruck.