Craig McRae thinks Bobby Hill will be available for big clash after being forced from the track on Thursday
COLLINGWOOD coach Craig McRae is confident Bobby Hill will be available for selection on King’s Birthday after the star small forward had to be helped off the track on Thursday.
Hill injured his ankle late in the session and sent a brief scare through the Magpies’ camp at the AIA Centre.
But with four days between now and Monday’s fixture against Melbourne, the Norm Smith Medallist is expected to be available and doesn’t require a scan at this stage.
“He is fine, he just tweaked his ankle a little bit. We’ve got four days before our game so there is no concern there,” McRae said at a press conference on Thursday.
The Magpies have been decimated by injuries across the past two months, with 15 players currently on the injury list, including seven premiership players from last September, plus Dan McStay who is closing in on a return from a knee reconstruction.
Collingwood is set to regain Will Hoskin-Elliott for the traditional clash against the Demons after the utility missed the past fortnight with a hamstring strain, while Reef McInnes is available after clearing concussion protocols earlier this week.
Veteran small forward Jamie Elliott returned to the track on Thursday morning after being given the green light to build his training back up earlier in the week.
The 31-year-old hasn’t played since the win over Carlton in round eight after discovering a vascular issue.
“There was some unknown timeframe around Jamie’s injury and we had to work through that, but we got some really good news during the week that the treatment he’d been using has been working,” McRae said.
“He is on the mend and he did his first running session today. We are hoping he is six to eight weeks away.”
Collingwood will consider recalling Nathan Kreuger for the first time since round seven last year after the former Cat kicked three goals in the VFL last weekend.
Leave a Reply