This weeks "Key Pies to Return" Article

mattys123 · 2 Jun 2009, 16:02

Key Pies to return

By Ben Broad 6:25 AM Tue 02 June, 2009
Collingwood's Travis Cloke has fully recovered from his hamstring injury
Latest headlines

FRESH from their best quarter in more than two years, Collingwood is nearing full strength with a host of big-name players set to return from injury.

Centre-half forward Travis Cloke headlines a list of possible inclusions this week, meaning coach Mick Malthouse will likely have some welcome headaches at the selection table ahead of his team’s Queen’s Birthday clash with Melbourne.

Key Magpie Paul Medhurst is also in the running to return after a month out with an ankle injury, while Anthony Rocca (knee), Sean Rusling (cheekbone) and Ben Johnson (leg) all appear set to play after extended stints on the sidelines.

“Those guys that have missed the last three or four weeks are probably available this coming game, so it clears up that injury list a bit,” Collingwood football manager Geoff Walsh told collingwoodfc.com.au.

“We had [Dale] Thomas and [Alan] Didak come in at the weekend and we didn’t get any fresh injuries out of the weekend either, so that was good.”

Walsh said Medhurst’s chances would be helped by an eight-day break ahead of the clash with Melbourne.

“Hopefully we can get some training into him,” he said.

“He might be 50-50 just in terms of his fitness in general.”

Walsh said Cloke, who hasn’t played since injuring his hamstring against St Kilda in round seven, would be fit to play this week. However whether he comes straight back into the senior side is less certain.

“That’s a match committee decision, but he’ll be available to play wherever,” Walsh said.

The Magpies are confident both Rocca and the unlucky Rusling – who broke his cheekbone in his first game back this season after a series of setbacks with a shoulder – will both be available for selection.

Ben Johnson, who broke his leg against Geelong in round three, wanted to play last week but was held back. However he is expected to be passed fit this weekend.

The Magpies have a week off after their clash with the Demons for the AFL’s split round, however their VFL team will play on that weekend. Walsh said that would give the club an opportunity to put more match time into some players’ legs.

Given Sunday’s win and the turning of the tide on the injury front, things are suddenly looking a lot brighter at the Lexus Centre.

The Magpies played arguably their best football of the season on Sunday evening.

Their third-quarter haul of 9.3 against Port Adelaide was their best under Mick Malthouse since they booted 10.6 in the final home and away round of 2006.

With its win over the Power, Collingwood consolidated its position inside the top eight and now sits sixth on the ladder.

In the next three weeks, the Magpies face bottom-of-the-ladder Melbourne, followed by the Sydney Swans (ANZ Stadium) and Fremantle(MCG).

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Once again, a good news story, but as to how much of it to believe, I'll leave that up to you.

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Porkaspies09 · 2 Jun 2009, 16:41

wow, i dunno who to take out of the team, i wanna see how clokey is after his stint on the sidelines , not really interested in rocca,rusling and medders are going to be huge ins but who will be taken out for them

Optimax · 2 Jun 2009, 16:45

I would love to see Trav come in against the dees and if leigh brown dudded up again as was expected last week i would of had no trouble in doing it

But in saying that travs form was poor and letting him beat up a VFL side for the next two weeks before we play sydney maybe whats best for him

Medhurst i highly doubt will play this week at any level

abs_of_STEELE · 2 Jun 2009, 17:29

I wouldn't bring Trav straight back, he was hopeless before he got injured.

FuManchu · 2 Jun 2009, 17:47

Quote:

Originally Posted by Optimax

I would love to see Trav come in against the dees and if leigh brown dudded up again as was expected last week i would of had no trouble in doing it

But in saying that travs form was poor and letting him beat up a VFL side for the next two weeks before we play sydney maybe whats best for him

Medhurst i highly doubt will play this week at any level

Conversely, Not that I think melb will be an easy beat as they have this knack of knocking us over at times, but this could be a good opportunity for Travis to get in and maybe impose himself against a lessor backline and maybe get some confiedence from there.

Anyway, I am hoping he plays, I am not driving all the way from Perth to go to this game just for us to get beaten.

careyrips(I) · 2 Jun 2009, 18:03

Did you guys see the article written by Mike Sheahan in yesterdays herald sun? He says that with the inclusions of Medhurst, Rusling, Cloke coming back and finding some form as well as the inclusions last week of thomas and Didak, we look like a premiership team! I dont know if he is meaning this year but to have someone like Mike Shehan say something like that is always a positive.

mattys123 · 2 Jun 2009, 18:19

Yeah saw the Mike Sheahan article yesterday, and to my thinking it seemed as if he thought we were going to be the "4th" team this year, and then he stated that only the top 4 have a real chance at the flag.

We are in a rare position at the moment, in that our injury list is practically empty, and we will have a richness of selection over the 2nd half of the season if this keeps up.

Our absolute best 22 are capable of competing with anyone, it's just a matter of whether we can hold our best 22-25 players together from now on in.

The thing with Mike Sheahen is that he is a "closet" big 4 supporter, in that he has talked up Carlton, Essendon and now Collingwood at different times this year.

Lockyer24 · 2 Jun 2009, 18:21

Them articles on AFL.com are like Groundhog day. Every week apparantly 4 players are returning but we are lucky if 1 does.

BTW Anthony Rocca is not injured, he's just not being picked.

Keele · 2 Jun 2009, 19:56

Medhurst is the only Pies player in the injury list and he is to be tested.

http://www.afl.com.au/tabid/208/defa...x?newsid=78095

#1 pies · 2 Jun 2009, 19:59

Cloke, Rusling, Johnson and Rocca should all play in the VFL.
Medhurst should come straight back in if fit this week.
But who'll go out?

Shaunn · 2 Jun 2009, 20:07

I really don't know who we are going to drop, all i can think of is maybe Alan Toovey but that's pretty much it.

And if we lose this week we are horrible, we are pretty much a full strength side and we are playing Melbourne who are 1-9 so if we lose it will be one of our worth losses in a bit.

Pie eyed · 2 Jun 2009, 20:07

Quote:

Originally Posted by FuManchu

Conversely, Not that I think melb will be an easy beat as they have this knack of knocking us over at times, but this could be a good opportunity for Travis to get in and maybe impose himself against a lessor backline and maybe get some confiedence from there.

Anyway, I am hoping he plays, I am not driving all the way from Perth to go to this game just for us to get beaten.

I also hope he plays.
If he is in fact in need of confidence then the best place to get it is in the AFL.
Why not give him a run at CHB for 25 minutes or so or even a wing?

His problem seems to be not getting to the ball often enough, lets bring the ball to him.

#1 pies · 2 Jun 2009, 20:09

Quote:

Originally Posted by Shaunn

I really don't know who we are going to drop, all i can think of is maybe Alan Toovey but that's pretty much it.

And if we lose this week we are horrible, we are pretty much a full strength side and we are playing Melbourne who are 1-9 so if we lose it will be one of our worth losses in a bit.

You're saying Toovey out before Cox?

Keele · 2 Jun 2009, 20:19

Quote:

Originally Posted by #1 pies

You're saying Toovey out before Cox?

I am actually not sure what he is saying in his second sentence

what does "worth losses in a bit" mean... doesn't bit mean little by little

Shaunn · 2 Jun 2009, 20:21

Quote:

Originally Posted by #1 pies

You're saying Toovey out before Cox?

Well id say that is a 50/50 chance, because Cox can play really well when he is in form and Toovey alot of the time he try's and runs away with the ball and gets tackled alot and gets pinged.

But either one of them or or both and id be happy

.