Moore time needed, says Eade

COLLINGWOOD has been urged not to rush Darcy Moore back into its AFL side for up to three weeks, with Rodney Eade saying patience was required as the club looks for a replacement for key defender Lynden Dunn.

Dunn has been ruled out for the rest of the season after suffering an ACL injury against Gold Coast on Saturday, leaving the club’s key defensive set-up in a state of uncertainty. Moore, who is out of contract at the end of the season and has been seriously targeted by Sydney, will likely resume in the VFL this week. He has only played four games so far this season, with separate hamstring issues.

“I think Darcy Moore might be the answer, but I wouldn’t be rushing him back,” Eade said yesterday. “I don’t know what it is like internally, but he seems to be a finely tuned athlete because of his explosive speed.

“Playing at least two or maybe three [games] in the seconds will build him up slowly and get his condition right.

“You would want to give him some time to get his body right, and it is the same with ‘Reidy’ [Ben Reid].”

Eade favours Moore over Reid, 29, as a main candidate to take on Dunn’s key defensive position.

For the interim, the Magpies will be forced to alter parts of their defensive set-up as they chase a seventh straight win on Sunday, against a resurgent Essendon at the MCG.

This could include shifting Tasmanian Brody Mihocek — who was recruited as a defender, but who has played his first four games in attack — to defence, while there is also the option of playing Jeremy Howe and Matt Scharenberg “a bit taller” for a few weeks.