Collingwood is facing a battle to get their stars fit for their season opener against Hawthorn.
With the Pies once again having numerous key players under injury clouds this pre-season, it appears that dangerous small forward Jamie Elliott is facing the biggest battle to be fit for the opening round of the season.
Collingwood GM Geoff Walsh provided an update on SEN Breakfast leading in to this weekend's inaugural AFLX tournament.
Jeremy Howe is currently battling a calf issue which has hampered his pre-season, but he appears to be back in full stride.
“He had a nicked calf during the summer with his running program. He is now getting back to what we would call full running fitness. We expect to see him in the JLT series, so he is on track, albeit he had a setback over the Christmas period,” Walsh said.
Jamie Elliott, looks the most unlikely to be fit for round one, with Walsh stating that he is probably the least likely, while he could possibly play the final JLT clash.
“He may play the last JLT game. He is probably the one, if you put a pecking order on players who are going to return and when we expect them to return of the guys who have had operations, he is the one at the backend of that.
“He is running over ground and once the medical and conditioning people get them running over ground, it means they aren't too far away from joining the footy program.”
Darcy Moore looks like he has overcome his achilles injury, with Walsh hinting that initial contract talks have begun with Moore's management group.
“He will join in the full footy program as of next week, he has made really good progress with that Achilles over the last two weeks," Walsh said.
“Ned Guy has started talks with Liam Pickering, so we have started there and from our point of view, he is a player who is a strong part of our future and we want to do something there as quick as we can. I don’t anticipate any problems. He is very committed to the Pies.
Walsh also provided updates on Alex Fasolo and Daniel Wells, expecting both to play in the JLT series.
“He (Alex Fasolo) is running really well. He had a shoulder operation, and the silver lining on that cloud is that the guy can run, and his running fitness is really high. That will help him when he comes back. We will think he will play some JLT,” Walsh added.
“He (Daniel Wells) has had a strong summer, he has a little bit of an Achilles soreness right now, which is maybe a sign of his loading because he has had a pretty consistent summer. We will keep him in a rehab sense for the next week or two to get him back joining into the footy program.
“I will expect Daniel to play JLT, because he has had a much better summer.”
Rumours around the fitness of Jordan De Goey were also squashed after Tyson Goldsack gave his team mate a whack in the media last week.
“Physically he is getting there, and in terms of his understanding of the impact he can have in a game, I think his teammates are starting to implore they want to see more from him, because they know he is capable of it,” Walsh said.
Meanwhile, Walsh has labelled 2018 a big year for James Aish, heaping praise on the former Lion.
“There looks to be a stronger belief in himself,” he said.
“He is a guy, make no bones about it, who has been rewarded with tonight’s (AFLX) selection off the back of his outstanding preseason form and training form."
