Collingwood coach Craig McRae announced that the Magpies will make adjustments to compensate for Jordan De Goey’s absence in the midfield. Forwards Beau McCreery and Brody Mihocek are likely to return from their respective injuries—McCreery from a concussion and Mihocek from a hamstring strain—after successfully completing Tuesday’s training.
McRae expressed optimism about their return, stating, “Likely that Beau and Brody will play. They got through training. That was the plan – you get through, you’re more likely to play. So we’ll probably pick those two.”
He acknowledged the challenges in maintaining a consistent forward line, describing it as a “revolving door” due to various injuries. Despite this, forwards coach Scott Selwood has managed to keep the team scoring effectively. Key players Jamie Elliott, Dan McStay, Jeremy Howe, Reef McInnes, and Will Hoskin-Elliott remain unavailable.
Midfielder Tom Mitchell, sidelined by plantar fasciitis for the past three games, will miss at least two more weeks. The team’s goal is for him to return by the round 13 King’s Birthday match against Melbourne, though a longer recovery time might be necessary.
McRae also noted the possibility of resting players due to a six-day break and the long travel to Perth for Friday’s game. Nathan Kreuger is being considered for selection, and West Australian Ed Allan might make his debut. However, youngster Tew Jiath left Tuesday’s training hobbling, adding another concern to the team’s injury list.
