It is the jumper he wore as a kid with number five on the back and Nathan Buckley's name printed underneath.

It isn't there as some sort of weird shrine to the player he revered as a kid - he has been waiting for the right moment to ask his now coach to sign it before he sends it home to his dad to hand on the Collingwood wall in the garage.

Howe also had a photo of Bucks in his wallet when he was growing up so when in 2015 he found himself becoming someone he didn't like and hating footy, his mind turned to the idea of leaving and the choice of destination felt natural.

In 2015 Howe was playing at Melbourne but his friends Jared Rivers, Ricky Petterd and James Frawley had all gone.

"I just felt I wasn't in a good place for 18 months and wasn't enjoying footy. When footy starts affecting your off-field stuff, you know you need to change something. I was a different person, I was a pretty average person at home. I was just not in a good mood and so you realise it's about more than just me.

"The change had to come and Collingwood seemed like a petty ideal fit."

Rivers had finished playing at Geelong and had just been appointed an assistant coach at Collingwood. He sent Howe a text: "I'm across the line, I have got the job, now it is your turn."

Howe said: "It ended up panning out. It made my life easier having him here because he is one of my best mates."

It was not a painless transition. Howe was criticised for selling out for more money. This was wrong. He actually took a pay cut.

"I don't want to go into figures but I have given up enough for it to hurt. It got blown up to be about money and people still say I came to Collingwood for money and it was the exact opposite. I needed a change and I sacrificed that to be happy," he said.

His first pre-season was not without difficulty. He hurt a finger playing frisbee with his dog at the park. He was reported to have hurt it playing a game of cricket. He clarified that he did briefly fill in for a cricket match but did not hurt it there. The club accepted his version.

"Coming to a new team you want to be fit and flying ready to go to prove your worth, so initially it was pretty tough. I spoke to the whole playing group about the whole situation. It's not ideal - awkward, embarrassing - but everyone moves on quickly," he said.

The biggest injury to affect Howe though was not one he suffered. He missed the first two games because of the finger then came into the side and played as a forward for a handful of unremarkable games, then the side's defence was bedevilled by injury.

"Bucks came to me out on the track and said 'with the injuries we've got, you've had a bit of experience in the back line, I know I said I wouldn't do it to you but I am going to you play you back this week'."

"I said 'I am more than happy to do it.' I was familiar with the role and, with the injuries we had, you couldn't argue and in the end I adapted to the role and played pretty consistently the back two-thirds and now I am stuck there."

Howe ended up finishing fifth in the Copeland Trophy. After effectively having no impact for the first third of the season his latter two-thirds pleased the coaches. He was in the conversation for the All-Australian squad.

"I would be very surprised if I played in the forward line again," he said.

Howe's ability to jump and mark is his most eye-catching quality. Weekly he offers something to consider for mark of the year. Flying for marks is riskier as a defender than a forward - flying, fumbling and not keeping your feet can be costly in the back line - but defensive coach Robert Harvey wants him to keep flying.

"You have to read the cues and the play of the game. I try not to be too over-zealous and try to mark everything so I throw the odd spoil in, but we are coached that if we think we have the ability to get two hands on the ball then try and mark it.

"To win the ball in your back half and rebound quickly is the easiest way to score."

Collingwood is thin for key defenders now with Ben Reid the only player of elite ability.

An injury to him would test their depth, but Howe said the Bulldogs had changed the idea of what was needed in the back line. He would envisage Reid being surrounded by a clutch of medium-height versatile players - himself, Matt Scharenberg, Tyson Goldsack, Tom Langdon - who could win the ball back and play on talls and smalls.

He'll discuss it with the coach ... when he asks for his autograph.