Collingwood’s defence is in for a stern test in opening round now that Darcy Moore and Jeremy Howe have been ruled out, while the Magpies have told Bobby Hill he will need to fully recommit to training before he is considered for selection this season.
Coach Craig McRae revealed on Wednesday that calf injuries meant Moore and Howe would not play in next week’s blockbuster against a revamped St Kilda at the MCG.
Darcy Moore has been ruled out of the Magpies’ season opener against St Kilda by coach Craig McRae.Credit: Getty Images
Moore said on Monday he was progressing well, but still had work to do. McRae, however, said the pair might even miss more games, as the Magpies take a cautious approach with their two defensive pillars.
“They’re both unlikely to play early in round zero, but they’re maybe touch and go for a little bit after that,” McRae said.
“They’re both progressing well, they’ve just had recurring calf injuries, which is just part of our learning around their bodies. But they won’t play early in the season.”
Greater Western Sydney exposed the Magpies’ lack of height in defence in match simulation last Friday, which is likely to put added pressure on Billy Frampton, Reef McInnes and Brayden Maynard to contain the Saints.
Speaking on SEN, McRae said the Magpies were trying to strike the right balance between care and the realities of professional sport for Bobby Hill, who remains on personal leave and is no closer to a return.
“Bobby is working on himself at the moment. We’re hoping that he’ll be in the program in the short- or medium-term. We’ll see how that progresses,” McRae said.
“But I think there are two parts to this situation … I want to be a coach, and we want to be an environment where we just love and care for our people, all our people, from players to staff, and then there’s the high-performance part.
“We’re paid to win. You come to the MCG not to love and care. You want to see winners.”
Crafty forward Bobby Hill’s future at Collingwood is unclear.Credit: AFL Photos
Hill was given personal leave in the second half of last season, but returned to the senior line-up against Brisbane in round 22. He was used as the substitute in that match and had just the four disposals, and did not play in the finals after the Magpies prioritised fitter players over the match-winning abilities of the 2023 Norm Smith medallist.
He is contracted until the end of 2030.
“For most of the year, for Bobby, it was about love and support, and there was very little attention to high performance because we just wanted to care for him,” McRae said.
“Then there comes a time late in the year when they become about high performance. That’s where it’s sitting at the moment.
“It’s always a delicate balance of those two magnets. They somewhat collide, at times. But we’ll continue to love and support him, and at the right time, get him in the environment to push forward for high performance.
“I’ve been speaking to him regularly, yesterday [Tuesday] even. I’m constantly talking to Bobby. It’s probably a bit too early to say [when he’ll return], but we’re confident that it’s progressing.”
McRae took extended leave over the pre-season because he felt mentally fatigued after a solid year. Geelong’s Chris Scott was also given more time off, raising eyebrows within the football community.
“It’s been interestingly reported having some time off, but you make a prelim[inary] final, then a couple of weeks later you’re into trade period, and next thing you’re headed overseas with the high-performance team to Scotland,” McRae said.
“Then, before you know, it’s Christmas, and you go, ‘Well, I wouldn’t mind a breath’.
“I think after doing it for four years, you realise where you can actually take a breath … and early in January is the time when the players are just getting to work.
“The grind is on. I came back and set some clear intentions around new themes and introducing new families into our environment with new draftees, and then I just took a bit of extra time.
“My garden has never looked better … I just think it’s important, and I think anyone who has done the job would realise, that’s probably the best time for it.”
– Jon Pierik
Crows star sidelined with an irregular heartbeat
Russell Bennett
Adelaide midfielder Jake Soligo has been ruled out of the Crows’ pre-season match with Fremantle after dealing with an irregular heartbeat.
The Crows announced on Wednesday that Soligo, who averaged 20.9 disposals, 4.6 tackles and 4.2 clearances per game last season, “has been on a managed training workload in recent weeks due to an irregular heartbeat.
Jake Soligo with Collingwood opponent Ned Long after their qualifying final at the Adelaide Oval last year.Credit: AFL Photos
“The club has liaised with its own experienced medical staff, as well as external specialists, to best manage the 23-year-old’s recovery.”
In their statement, the Crows said Soligo, who finished in the top 10 of the club’s best and fairest last season, would return to training next week.
Soligo came on midway through the third term of the Crows’ scratch match with local rivals Port Adelaide earlier this month, coach Matthew Nicks admitting they didn’t want to overwork him.
“Soli has come back from being managed for a few weeks, so it was about making sure we didn’t push him too hard,” Nicks said.
The Crows, who finished on top of the ladder last season only to exit the finals in straight sets, will head to Mandurah in Western Australia to face the Dockers in a pre-season match on Saturday night.
Power star and 2021 Brownlow medallist Ollie Wines has been substituted out of games in recent years due to a heart condition that required minor surgery in late 2024.
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