Source :- PERTH NOW NEWS
Collingwood could regain four top-line players for their final home-and-away match, but the Magpies will give serious consideration to managing some of the group.
Coming off a remarkable second draw against Hawthorn this season — 13.14 (92) apiece — the Magpies are locked into eighth or ninth heading into the wildcard round.
Their position makes Friday night’s clash with Brisbane Lions a tricky proposition.
The round-24 match becomes an effective dead rubber for the Magpies, who don’t earn the week off before finals that is guaranteed for top-six finishers.
Jeremy Howe (arm), Brayden Maynard (shoulder), Patrick Lipinski (calf) and Steele Sidebottom could all be available to take on the Lions.
“We’ve got a lot of players coming back … they still have got to get through the week,” McRae said.
“Travel last week to Perth and a couple of six-day breaks, which might suggest that some might need to be managed.
“I was pretty deliberate with (Collingwood high performance boss) Jarrod Wade that we’ll manage them if they need to be managed, not just for the sake of it.
“If they’re really sore and they can’t perform, they won’t play next week.
“But right now, there’s an energy and everyone wants to play.”
The AFL has already warned clubs, via a memo sent by football boss Greg Swann, about resting players en masse for the last round of the home-and-away season.
Multiple teams, including ladder-leaders Fremantle, are already locked into their ladder positions ahead of next weekend.
But the introduction of the wildcard round, taking the finalists up from eight to 10 teams, means four clubs won’t get the pre-finals bye.
If they are to claim the most unlikely premiership, Collingwood will need to play an unprecedented five weeks in the finals.
The Magpies were sitting 14th only nine weeks ago, but have lost just one game since to be one of the in-form teams
“The players don’t give up, and maybe that’s starting to reverberate across the competition,” McRae said.
“You’ve got to beat us.”
Just two days after announcing he would be retiring at season’s end, Sidebottom was a late withdrawal on Saturday due to illness.
“I got a message about 10am, the late withdrawal on matchday caused a bit of chaos because the VFL played.
“He’s had his farewell speech and shook hands with 200 people – he’s got to wash his hands!
“There’s lots of illness going around in the middle of Melbourne winter.”
