Collingwood is being cautious with injured star Jordan De Goey, who is dealing with a "relatively minor" ankle issue.
De Goey won’t take part in Friday’s match against Sydney following his substitution during the Magpies' 17-point victory over Carlton last week.
Although the Magpies are optimistic about having De Goey play the subsequent week against Brisbane, coach Craig McRae indicates they plan to "take the longer view with him."
"He simply has a slightly bothersome ankle; we took heed of what happened last year," he explained.
The True Bloods team joins us to give insights into an incredible match between the Pies and the Swans!
We won’t be putting Jordy out there when a single problem might turn into multiple issues and we find ourselves struggling to keep up... We take a longer-term approach with him.
We're optimistic that Brisbane is the intended destination, though we're uncertain; nonetheless, that remains our plan. We'll escort him to Adelaide first and then proceed to Brisbane.
A persistent groin injury limited De Goey to only 13 appearances in 2024, and he also sat out the initial two games of this year due to bone bruising.
McRae mentions that De Goey is frustrated with the unstable beginning to the year but feels more assured about his physical condition than he did in the previous season.
"I had a pleasant conversation with him earlier in the week; he seemed quite irritated as he felt like he was making progress but then regressing," he mentioned.
It’s round five; we still have ample time. He has put in an enormous amount of effort to reach this point.
He is undoubtedly in a more favorable physical condition compared to last year; however, this year shows a slight regression.
Collingwood anticipates that the Swans will assign their tagger James Jordan to mark Nick Daicos.
McRae states that the Magpies plan to "be clever and tactical" in utilizing Daicos, understanding that this key player will keep his opponent occupied.
"We expect Jordon will pass to Nick since they have played together before; our aim is simply to ensure Nick is in the optimal position to play for us," he stated.
If it requires him to occasionally set aside his own position for the benefit of others, Nick will make that sacrifice for our sake. It may also mean we have to be clever and tactical about how and when we use Nick.
Usually, Nick is the first one in on Monday mornings to review tapes of their opponents, regardless of whether it's James Jordan or another player he'll be facing.
If you observe Jordon training, he operates at a different level altogether. So, Jordon will need to step up his game by Friday evening since Nick will be giving it his all.