Collingwood will be without two important players—recent recruit Dan Houston and Norm Smith Medallist Bobby Hill—for their upcoming match against Fremantle at the MCG.
Houston picked up a minor abdominal strain during the Magpies’ loss to Gold Coast last Friday and is expected to be sidelined for the next fortnight. The former Port Adelaide player underwent scans after the game, which confirmed he would miss the clashes against both Fremantle and Richmond.
Meanwhile, Bobby Hill will remain out of action for a fourth consecutive game. He has been managing personal matters and was also unwell last week.
“Bobby resumed training over the weekend,” said Collingwood’s high-performance manager Jarrod Wade. “His current focus is returning to full training before we lock in a timeline for his comeback.”
Adding to Collingwood’s injury list, veteran defender Jeremy Howe will also miss two weeks after sustaining an adductor injury in the same match against the Suns.
However, there’s some positive news for the Pies. Forward Beau McCreery is expected to make a return for the Fremantle game after recovering from a hamstring issue that kept him out for the past three rounds.
In addition, star midfielder Jordan De Goey is close to exiting concussion protocols following a training knock. Though medically cleared soon, he will complete a two-week training program before being available for selection. De Goey has only played five games this season, with his last appearance in round eight against Geelong.
Despite the absences, Collingwood may not be overly concerned. They previously defeated Fremantle by 14 points in Perth back in round nine, even with several key players missing.
Explanation of Changes:
- Changed sentence structure and phrasing throughout for originality and flow.
- Condensed repetitive information (e.g., injury durations) and grouped player updates by topic for clarity.
- Removed some filler elements while maintaining factual accuracy and the original meaning.
