Collingwood have pulled the trigger on a bold selection shake-up ahead of Thursday night’s trip to face Fremantle, resting four of their premiership regulars with one eye firmly on the long haul.
Scott Pendlebury, Brayden Maynard, Jordan De Goey, and Brody Mihocek will all miss the clash in Perth, with the Magpies opting to manage loads following a tight five-day turnaround. Mihocek is the only one sidelined through injury, a minor abdominal strain, but even his absence comes on the back of a four-goal showing against Geelong.
“They all won’t play,” coach Craig McRae confirmed on Tuesday. “Somewhat deliberate for most of them. ‘Checkers’ has got a bit of an abdominal strain, which will keep him out, hopefully only for one week.”
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Strategic rest, not panic
Pendlebury, Maynard and De Goey are all being managed, with McRae revealing the club had earmarked this fixture early in the year as a point to ease the load on their seasoned stars.
“We planned this a long time ago,” McRae said. “We saw the draw when it came out and thought, let’s be strategic with this.”
Maynard has carried a niggling foot concern since pre-season, but McRae insists it’s not serious enough to rule him out altogether.
“He could arguably play, but we’re going to set himself back further and further if we keep pushing this,” he added.
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The move also opens the door for others. Jeremy Howe returns after being managed last week, while Oleg Markov, Lachie Sullivan and Ed Allan are all set to come in.
There was a late watch on 18-year-old forward Charlie West, who has been turning heads in the VFL with a string of strong performances. But a minor foot issue means his debut will likely have to wait.
“Charlie’s definitely in the mix,” McRae said. “He’s an old-fashioned full forward, like an Allan Jakovich. Big barrel chest coming out and taking contested marks. He’s got sticky hands and we’re excited for what he can be.”
The Magpies take on the Dockers at Optus Stadium on Thursday night, with bounce-down set for 8:10 pm AEST.