Collingwood have been dealt another injury blow but will resist the temptation of fast-tracking Bobby Hill, while Carlton are expected to recall two key defenders as the Blues seek to breathe new life into a flagging rivalry with their arch-rivals.
Magpies coach Craig McRae revealed on Tuesday that Steele Sidebottom (hip) was hurt in the loss to Fremantle and would not face the Blues at the MCG on Thursday night, joining Jordan De Goey (concussion) on the sidelines.
“He actually got a knock on the hip pointer, so he won’t play. We have a six-day break, there is actually quite a lot of bleeding there,” McRae said.
“Just before half-time, he got a heavy knock in the back. He has limited movement, so he isn’t going to be right.”
The Magpies will look to Ed Allan, Wil Parker, William Hayes and Lachie Sullivan as possible replacements.
On a morning the Magpies and Blues each trained, Blues coach Michael Voss all but confirmed key defenders Jacob Weitering (concussion) and Harry Dean (concussion and hip) would return.
“They will both be available. They trained under protocols last week, they got going on Friday, and they’ve trained fully this week,” Voss said.
Weitering and Dean took to the track on Tuesday, as did skipper Patrick Cripps with his right hand heavily taped after he took a knock in the loss to the Crows on Friday. However, the veteran midfielder was not hampered by the injury, and marked the ball well.
The Magpies’ goal-kicking woes have been heavily documented this season. They managed only five in the wet against the Dockers, and are ranked 17th for goals and overall scoring, behind only Richmond.
McRae said he was still deliberating whether this was a personnel or structural issue, but ruled out rushing Hill, the 2023 Norm Smith medallist, back.
Hill returned to the club last month, having missed most of the summer because of personal issues, and is completing a solid block of training. He was in excellent touch at training on Tuesday, and would be the dynamic option the Magpies have lacked inside their attacking 50m. But McRae said Hill was not an option yet.
“Bobby is on a plan. He is on a pre-season mode that we have the eye on long term,” McRae said.
Jeremy Howe, a one-time goalkicker turned defensive ace, trained as a forward on Tuesday, McRae raising the possibility he could push into attacking 50, particularly when skipper Darcy Moore (hamstring) returns.
The Magpies need more from small forward Jamie Elliott, who has only five goals from five games.
Nick Daicos (corked calf) moved well, and is ready for his 100th game. McRae likened him to a former triple-premiership teammate of his own at the Brisbane Lions.
“What a player, what a professional, he does things I don’t think I have seen others do,” McRae said.
“I saw a young Simon Black come into the game. He had an incredible career … this guy has every attribute to be one of the best players of all time.”
Voss did not rule out recalling midfielder George Hewett to tag Daicos, a role he has done previously.
But what Voss really wants is for the Blues to reignite this storied rivalry, the dominant Magpies having won seven of the past eight clashes between the teams, and a whopping 19 of their past 23 since the start of 2013.
“We step into the rivalry. It’s the one week where I get a lot of text messages from past players, and they just remind me about the value of this game and where they have Collingwood in the pecking order for them,” Voss, preparing for his 100th game in charge at Ikon Park, said.
“We, absolutely, have got to bring our A game, but … we have been on the other side [of the ledger]. So, we need to, for any rivalry to take effect, we need to play a bigger role, and this, obviously, becomes an important game for us and our club.”
In what has been a difficult start to the season for the Blues, with just the one win, Voss said a desire to lift the premiership cup at a club he barracked for growing up burned as bright as ever.
“This has been a life-long journey for me, from a young man of being 12 years of age and watching the premiership in the lounge room with my pop and watching Robert Walls and Stephen Kernahan lift the [1987] cup up, it’s become an aspiration from that point of my life,” Voss said.
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Jon Pierik is a sports journalist at The Age. He covers AFL and has won awards for his cricket and basketball writing.Connect via X or email.