Collingwood's Nick Daicos was a late withdrawal from his side's rendezvous with the reigning premiers on Thursday night, with a corked calf putting paid to his chances of haunting the Lions further.
It's an injury the talisman attempted to manage in the lead up to the game, but after pictures emerged of a usually smooth moving Daicos hobbling around during warmups on a pristine Gabba surface, it appeared the writing was on the wall.
Given that the injury is a corked calf, as opposed to a strain or a tear of the muscle, Collingwood are hopeful that their three time All-Australian will be fit for selection ahead of a mammoth encounter with the Fremantle Dockers, at next weekend's Gather Round.
"I hope he improves," coach Craig McRae offered, post-match.
"We do have three days off. He's such a pro; it's a 'corky' so you'd think it (the calf) starts to move. We'll see how it goes."
McRae was adamant that Daicos' late withdrawal should not have been the impetus for his side's rather poor showing, but did concede that removing the best player from any team is going to have a ripple effect.
"You'd hope it doesn't (effect proceedings) because things that happen before the game shouldn't really affect the first contest or our stoppage structure. I know you could make a case that you take the best player out of any team and it's probably going to disrupt, but you'd like to think not."
The Pies' superstar has been on a tear to start the new season, leading the AFLCA's Champion Player of the Year award prior to the commencement of the round on the back of averaging 36 disposals, nine inside 50s and eight score involvements per game.
Collingwood sorely missed their vice-captain around the ball, receiving an absolute lesson in stoppage craft, skill execution and ball movement at the hands of the reigning premiers. The Magpies lost clearances by 18, contested possessions by 39, disposals by 115 and marks by 79 in a truly dirty evening for McRae's men.
