Brayden Maynard has shrugged off any concerns about his fitness, while skipper Darcy Moore is ready to reignite his career as the Magpies prepare for the big wet against Greater Western Sydney on Sunday.
Maynard was full of dash and dare in a 90-minute training session in the heat on Friday, with Collingwood coach Craig McCrae confirming the premiership defender will line up in the season opener at Engie Stadium.
Magpies’ star Brayden Maynard trained strongly on Friday ahead of the season opener.Credit: Getty Images
“He will play,” McRae said.
Maynard missed the Magpies’ pre-season clash against Richmond, after battling a foot issue through the summer.
The robust defender is a key cog of the Magpies’ premiership tilt, and part of a strong backline led by Moore, star recruit Dan Houston and new member, Josh Daicos. The latter will spend time as a rebounding playmaker, despite being established as one of the league’s best wingmen, where he won the Magpies’ best and fairest award and was an All Australian in the club’s 2023 premiership year.
McRae said Daicos would provide tremendous drive.
“It’s a real weapon to have Josh off half-back, setting the game up there. The game now requires you to hit targets out of defensive 50, otherwise you are in trouble. To have Josh, and futuristically have Dan Houston, they are a couple of weapons that will ask a lot of questions of the opposition,” McRae said.
The Magpies will unveil recruit Harry Perryman, named on a wing where Daicos once ruled, while former Saints’ forward Tim Membrey was named on an extended bench, but McRae said he remained in firm contention to play.
However, star recruit Dan Houston (suspended), premiership gun Jordan De Goey (knee bruising) and Mason Cox (finger) will miss the trip north.
McRae said tackling-machine Perryman, the former Giants’ defender who signed a six-year deal with the Magpies, provides versatility.
Former Giant Harry Perryman has impressed with his on-field intensity over summer.Credit: Eddie Jim
“We thought we would bring Harry in to play a little bit of midfield because he is such a good transitional runner, and just over the pre-season, prepping him for that, stoppage craft, knowing he can go back and play those defensive roles for us,” McRae said.
De Goey trained strongly on Friday and is expected to be fit for round one or two. But McRae said the Pies had learnt from last year when they selected some players who were “fit to play but not fit to perform”.
“He is making a case for next week … but we’ll wait and see,” McRae said.
Moore had interrupted pre-seasons through 2023 and 2024, but McRae said the skipper was ready to return to his best. The athletic defender, and intercept marking king, struggled, at times, through a draining ’24 campaign.
“There is an energy in him. We catch up regularly. We are excited for presenting a better version of Darcy, in particular, a lot fitter,” McRae said.
Seeking redemption after missing the finals – on percentage – last season, McRae said the Magpies were optimistic about the season ahead. But he stressed this year was not about recapturing past glories.
“I am not really keen to recapture anything. I am keen to create a whole new version of us, and a whole different feel and a whole different energy from different players,” McRae said.
As Essendon did earlier this week, the Magpies trained, at times, with a wet ball in preparation for the expected soggy conditions at the Sydney Showgrounds as a result of Cyclone Alfred.
McRae said the Magpies would take an extended squad to Sydney before determining their best options.
“We probably spent 20 or 30 minutes of match committee [talking] about who plays if it’s really wet, what’s coming. The unknown is hard to plan for, other than to play for wet weather. I have seen different forecasts,” McRae said.
“We would like to think our game style doesn’t really matter if it’s wet or dry. Some positional changes (will be) made.”
The Magpies will have their captain’s run in Melbourne on Saturday before flying north.
The Giants will be without injured trio Jesse Hogan, Tom Green and Jake Stringer.
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