Reef McInnes sent a scare through the Collingwood camp, with the 23-year-old hurting his left knee during the first half of Friday's VFL clash against Essendon.
The key defender went down during Friday's Round 5 VFL match at KGM Centre and was assisted from the ground by trainers before heading straight down to the rooms.
McInnes has only recently returned to footy via the VFL and played his first full game last week, having missed most of 2025 after sustaining an ACL injury in the Magpies' Round 2 AFL win against the Bulldogs. McInnes' right knee buckled following an awkward landing in a marking contest during the opening stages of the match.
McInnes was selected with pick 23 in the 2020 National Draft. He has played just 23 games at AFL level, having made his debut in Round 3 2022.
Collingwood defender Reef McInnes coming from the ground after injuring his knee.
His reaction didn’t seem good. He went straight down the race.
McInnes was returning from an ACL injury to his right knee.@zerohanger pic.twitter.com/kWHLICNe7J
— Aidan Cellini (@aidancellini4) April 24, 2026
Meanwhile, teammate Bobby Hill also left the ground after receiving a cut to his face. The 25-year-old required stitches but returned to the field soon after.
Hill hadn't played since the Round 22 AFL loss against the Lions at the MCG, when used as the substitute. He was granted personal leave to deal with a delicate personal matter, before returning to the club last month.
The 2023 Norm Smith Medallist played limited minutes, given it was his first match since August 2 last year. Hill tallied 11 touches, six score involvements and kicked a goal in the 11-point win, and his energy and work rate stood out as he pushes towards an AFL return.
