BROWNLOW medallist Dane Swan has hit out at rumours surrounding his fitness levels and joked about Mick Malthouse making an appearance at the Westpac Centre to inspire the team for Anzac Day.

Swan fronted the media on Monday as the Magpies took part in a light recovery session around the tan track in Melbourne, two days out from the blockbuster with Essendon.

The 28-year-old rejected claims his fitness levels had deteriorated, putting raw data on the public record.

"For anyone who has any interest, which I'm not sure why, I'm about 800 grams heavier and my skin folds [are] about two points lower [than last year]," Swan said.  

"[I'm not] playing well, and we're losing - people tend to pick on you when you're not going well and you're at a high profile club like Collingwood.

"[There] seem to be rumours circulated about me all the time - that [suggestions of being overweight] was just another one."

Swan also denied rumours on social media that he'd fallen out with coach Nathan Buckley.

"People can believe what they want, I have a great relationship with him," he said.

"It just gives people on those stupid websites, and Twitter and that, to have something to say - they think they're reasonably important so they just make up rumours to try and get their heads in the paper or get their name on Twitter.

"Externally, people can write whatever they want, but we know where we're at, and the only thing we value is what's said inside the club."

Matt Thompson is a reporter for AFL Media. Follow him on Twitter @MattThompsonAFL

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