Polarising Collingwood co-captain Brayden Maynard has been cleared of any structural damage to his knee, the Magpies have revealed.
The 29-year-old cult hero disappeared into the rooms at a critical junction of his side's stirring win over the fancied Crows on Thursday night, with broadcasters speculating soft tissue or contact injuries.
Knee-on-knee was the consensus post-match, and with PCL damage then feared, scans upon Maynard's return to Melbourne have come back clear of any structural damage.
Collingwood is expected to provide a return to play timeline for the De La Salle product after further assessment in the coming days.
It's a major boost for the Pies, whose backline is already stretched thin courtesy of long-term injuries to Reef McInnes, and Darcy Moore - whose absence necessitates Maynard's co-captaincy alongside superstar Nick Daicos.
We've provided an update on Brayden Maynard's knee injury following scans.
📝 Details: https://t.co/2f6IJFPFSi pic.twitter.com/zCzPuYZQkn
— Collingwood FC (@CollingwoodFC) July 25, 2026
Collingwood have reeled off six consecutive victories, with their hard-fought victory over the Suns a few weeks ago spurred on by a desire to stand up for Maynard, who was the target of a Ben Long cheap shot.
The way the leader galvanises the playing group and Collingwood's fan base has expedited calls for Moore to relinquish the captaincy in favour of either Maynard, or the beloved Daicos, allowing the premiership skipper to focus solely on his football and getting his banged up body right.
Modern rivals the Geelong Cats await Collingwood, and while Maynard is no certainty to suit up on Thursday night, the news that he won't be missing a significant chunk of the season's concluding stanza is welcomed by Collingwood faithful, and Craig McRae.
