West Adelaide’s Oscar Steene is warming as favourite to fill Collingwood’s vacant rookie list spot before the supplemental selection period closes on February 15.
A club source said the Magpies are expected to meet early in the week to make an official decision on who gets the nod, but the 201-centimetre ruckman has impressed during the pre-season and would provide strong back-up for a rucking contingent that includes Darcy Cameron, Mason Cox and Aiden Begg.
Oscar Steene at the draft combine in Adelaide last year.Credit:AFL Photos
Collingwood were relieved that the hamstring injury Cameron suffered last week was minor, but the incident would have been a gentle reminder of the Magpies’ depth in that area after Brodie Grundy was traded to Melbourne at the end of last season.
Quick former Richmond and Gold Coast defender Oleg Markov has been training with the club. Collingwood want more depth in defence with running players who can play high up the ground and give more scope for Nick Daicos to move into the midfield. Forward Will Hoskin-Elliott has been training in defence this year with the Magpies planning to use him in that role given his running ability and his strength overhead.
High-flying former volleyballer Rye Penny has also been vying for that final spot and the club may decide they need a versatile player capable of filling several positions rather than a ruckman. They may also leave the list spot vacant.
Several clubs are reaching conclusions on whether they will recruit a player during the pre-season supplemental selection period. St Kilda decided that former Bomber Josh Eyre would not be offered a rookie contract after training with the club this pre-season, while adding Liam Stocker. They will keep the other spot open.
Essendon have trialled several players, with the latest being Western Australian Jack Cleaver, while Richmond took former Cat Quinton Narkle and Kaelen Bradtke to their training camp on the surf coast this week. The Tigers are expected to wait until close to the deadline continuing to assess the pair in match simulation.
Melbourne have been considering Trent Burgoyne and Kye Turner, while the Hawks may consider elevating a player from Box Hill.
Already eight former AFL players have joined their clubs via the pre-season supplemental selection period including Adelaide’s Tyler Brown and Mark Keane, the Brisbane Lions’ Conor McKenna and Darragh Joyce, Gold Coast’s Jed Anderson, North Melbourne’s Liam Shiels, St Kilda’s Stocker and the Western Bulldogs Oskar Baker.
