In a major boost to Collingwood's momentum wave in Season 2022, veteran leader Taylor Adams will play in Saturday's mouthwatering twilight qualifying final against Geelong at the MCG.
It is the veteran's first match in over a month after suffering a groin strain against Port Adelaide in Round 20, which ruled him out for the remainder of the home and away season.
This isn't the first time he has had groin issues, having been on the sidelines for three months during the 2019 season, and in 2020 missed the remainder of the pre-season with another groin injury.
Speaking on RSN on Wednesday morning, the 29-year-old confirmed his return from injury, while stating being away from the football field had its mix of emotions.
"It's been obviously a bit of a stressful time, but been a great experience," he said.
"I've spent a fair bit of time up in the coaches box over the last month, and I've done that in past seasons when I've had injuries. It's a different dynamic up there.
"I have enjoyed the style of footy we're playing, you get a real appreciation when you sit back and watch. Not only our game, but the way we are training as well."
In the last few days, the AFL's pre-finals bye has been a hot topic of discussion on whether it benefits certain teams more than others. Adams says it came at the right time for the club.
"That sort of depends on which way you look at it. We saw it as an opportunity to rest and refresh, and there was a number of guys wo needed that week off just to get their bodies right, but they will certainly be better off with a week off," he said.
"So we saw it as an opportunity to focus on a few things that probably hasn't been working as well as we would like, and then switch our attention to Geelong this week."
Having been the Cinderella story this season after finishing 17th in 2021 all the way to making the top-four 12 months later, Adams says it is a "good opportunity to reflect on that and how far we've come."
Collingwood has been swooping from all angles, winning 12 of its last 13 games, with their only loss coming to darkhorse contender Sydney. Geelong too has also been a on tear, winning 13 straight since its Round 9 loss to St Kilda.
When asked about what to expect from the veteran laden Cats outfit, Adams was cautious about the damage they can do in a short period of time.
"Geelong have clearly been the most in-form team in the competition and if I have to pick a team outside Collingwood, they're Premiership favourites," he said.
"So we understand what they bring, exceptional defensive team, they've got this ability to go from control to fast, score pretty quickly. And clearly they've got stars all over the field. So we feel like we've grown a lot since that Round 3 meeting."
This year's Rising Star winner Nick Daicos and high-flying defender Jeremy Howe will play despite the pair not partaking in Tuesday's main training session, with both managed.
The sides enjoy a finals rivalry with many epic encounters over the years, including the 2007 preliminary final when Geelong got home by five points on route to its first flag in 44 years, and the 2019 qualifying final when Collingwood celebrated skipper Scott Pendlebury's 300th with an enthralling 10-point victory.
