Scott Pendlebury and Jeremy Howe, key players for Collingwood, will begin the season without having faced any opposition due to training injuries they suffered last week.
The experienced pair will be absent from Collingwood’s Charity Shield match against Richmond at Ikon Park on Tuesday night. Meanwhile, Richmond is welcoming back several star players, including Dustin Martin, Tim Taranto, and Dion Prestia, who participated in their first pre-season match.
According to Collingwood, Pendlebury sustained a knee injury during Sunday’s training session, but he is expected to recover in time for the team’s Opening Round clash against GWS next week. Similarly, Howe, who suffered a calf injury during training, is also expected to be fit for the regular season.
Captain Darcy Moore will make his return for Collingwood after sitting out last week’s simulated match loss to North Melbourne. However, Richmond’s Toby Nankervis will not be playing due to a foot injury he is currently managing.
Richmond’s Pre-Season Lineup and Match Details
Richmond opted to give star defender Nick Vlastuin a rest, but they included Dylan Grimes, Liam Baker, Prestia, Martin, and Taranto in their lineup for their first pre-season games leading up to the season opener against Gold Coast.
Prestia is making a return after recovering from a hamstring strain he suffered during an intraclub game at Punt Road in late January.
Unfortunately, Rhyan Mansell (ankle syndesmosis injury) and Sam Banks (calf tightness) will be absent from the clash after playing against Melbourne at Casey Fields last week.
Despite the limited spots available, the Tigers did not include mature-age draft pick Kane McAuliffe in their 26-man squad. Instead, they named Seth Campbell, Mykelti Lefau, and Steely Green, with Maurice Rioli Jr, James Trezise, and Hugo Ralphsmith listed among the emergencies.
On the other hand, Collingwood, under the guidance of assistant coach Hayden Skipworth, named Ash Johnson and Reef McInnes in their lineup. These two players are set to compete for Dan McStay’s full-forward spot, while Nathan Kreuger did not make the selection. Kreuger was named as an emergency along with SSP recruit Lachie Sullivan, Joe Richards, and Jakob Ryan.
A VFL match between the Tigers and Magpies is scheduled to take place at Punt Road from 3pm.
Proceeds from the Charity Shield match will be donated to Foodbank, with fully ticketed entry at Ikon Park featuring adjusted prices for club members.
