Collingwood captain Darcy Moore is on the mend, but remains touch and go to line up in the Magpies’ blockbuster season opener against St Kilda next month.
Moore has less than a fortnight to prove his fitness, having strained a calf at training last month.
Captains from across the AFL gathered on Monday.Credit: Justin McManus
He trained well on Friday at Bundoora, but did not take part in the club’s match simulation against Greater Western Sydney.
Moore said on Monday he was progressing well, yet could not guarantee he would be ready to face the new-look Saints on March 8 in a Sunday-night clash at the MCG.
“[I’m] going really well – had a minor calf niggle in January, so I have been on a bit of a modified training program building up. I have had a big last couple of weeks with training loads, so [I’m] feeling really great, and the body feels ready to go,” Moore said.
Although the 2023 premiership skipper expressed doubt at playing in the community series match against North Melbourne in Ballarat on Sunday, he insisted his recovery “looks pretty good”.
“[There are] still a couple of weeks to go and [I] have got to map out loads and that sort of stuff with the high-performance staff, but it’s looking pretty good,” he said.
The Pies are also sweating over the fitness of fellow key defender Jeremy Howe, who is also on the mend having re-aggravated a calf complaint that has hampered him through the pre-season.
“I think he is in a similar position, potentially touch and go for the first game, but, again, not exactly sure what the timeline is,” Moore said.
The absence of Moore and Howe was noticeable against the Giants, for the Magpies were exploited in the air in their defensive 50-metre arc.
Moore said the Magpies continued to rally around Norm Smith medallist Bobby Hill, who has been granted personal leave. Hill was also absent from the club for periods through 2025, and there is a possibility he may not play this season.
“He has clearly taken an extended period of leave. The focus for him, and us, is his wellbeing. We are not putting any timelines or pressure on that. We are respecting Bobby’s space,” Moore said.
Star midfielder Nick Daicos has said he is likely to be deployed at full-forward at times this season, emulating a role his father Peter, also a blue-chip midfielder, played in the latter years of his premiership-winning career.
Moore said it was “exciting” to have Daicos spend more time inside attacking 50m, for it would also allow Jamie Elliott – by far the Magpies’ leading goalkicker (60) last season – to show his skills further afield.
Meanwhile, Geelong captain Patrick Dangerfield said Jeremy Cameron was recovering well from a quad strain, which contributed to the premiership star missing this month’s State of Origin clash and last week’s match simulation against Hawthorn.
“He is on track. Obviously, he had a hiccup with that quad, otherwise he would have played [against Hawthorn]. But all signs, at the moment – he’s in full training today – point towards there being no issue around opening round. I would say he will be ready to go,” Dangerfield said.
The Blues host the Cats in a community series clash at Ikon Park on Wednesday. The Cats open their home-and-away campaign with a trip to the Gold Coast to face the Suns.
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