Pies trio focused on the now
COLLINGWOOD is confident three of its out-of-contract stars — Jordan De Goey, Darcy Moore and Alex Fasolo — can keep focused on the immediate task at hand, despite growing interest from rival suitors.
As the Magpies prepare to tackle Geelong at the MCG tomorrow, coach Nathan Buckley also conceded Scott Pendlebury was in serious doubt, but said the skipper would be given until almost game time in an effort to prove his fitness after suffering an ankle injury last week.
Moore was the latest Magpie to be linked to a rival club, with Sydney targeting the key-position player. De Goey has attracted the attention of several clubs including St Kilda, North Melbourne and Carlton, while Fasolo hasn’t yet broken his way into the AFL team this year.
“I can assure you Darcy, ‘Jord’ and ‘Faz’ ... are all training and preparing to contribute as strongly as they can, in the short and medium terms,” Buckley said.
“We’d love that to be long term with all of them, and that’s where we’re working from.”
The coach said of Fasolo: “He’s a victim at the moment of guys up top playing really good footy. [But] he’s in a good headspace, he’s tipping in to the program.
“His attitude has been excellent, so his time will come.”
Pendlebury failed to train in the club’s last session yesterday, opting to do some light work inside, away from the rain that lashed Melbourne.
COLLINGWOOD veteran Daniel Wells will play his first game of the AFL season when the Magpies take on Geelong at the MCG tomorrow.
The 33-year-old, having not played since Round 20 last season, has battled calf issues early in this campaign.
Callum Brown earns a recall, while Ben Crocker and Jarryd Blair have been dropped. The Cats also have some big inclusions with Gary Ablett and Harry Taylor returning to bolster Chris Scott’s line-up, along with Zac Smith and James Parsons.
Meanwhile, Adelaide midfielder Sam Powell-Pepper will enjoy a sense of freedom returning to AFL ranks after being suspended for a drunken nightclub incident, his coach says. Powell-Pepper will play against Adelaide today after being banned initially by Port, and then the AFL, for making inappropriate contact with a female at a city nightclub.
Adelaide coach Don Pyke has stopped short of declaring his players won’t sledge Powell-Pepper about the incident that resulted in a three-match AFL ban. “They understand pretty clearly where the line is with regard to on-field banter,” Pyke said.
Former Brisbane captain Tom Rockliff, Chad Wingard and defender Tom Clurey also return for the Power.