Eagles co-captain is set to make his long-awaited return from knee surgery in the upcoming game, joining in-form Jake Waterman and veteran Jack Darling in attack.
The 196cm Ryan Maric is expected to play, while coach Adam Simpson is also considering keeping the 201cm Bailey Williams in the squad.
Williams, who has spent most of the season as a makeshift ruckman, is now free to play forward following Matt Flynn’s recent return.
Even if Williams is not included in the final squad on Friday afternoon, the forward line will still be formidable.
“It can work,” Simpson said on Friday.
“If it’s Darling, Allen, and Waterman predominantly in your forward line with a bit of Bailey (Williams) – it’s definitely something we’ve got to look at at some stage to see if it works.”
Simpson mentioned the possibility of playing Maric more on the wing or even in defense to accommodate the influx of big forwards.
Allen kicked 53 goals last year, establishing himself as one of the premier forwards, while Waterman has kicked 33 in 11 games this season, putting him in All-Australian contention.
Whether Waterman can maintain his form with Allen’s return is a significant talking point, but Simpson is confident the skipper’s return will strengthen the team.
“Oscar wants to complement our side and help us win,” Simpson said.
“I don’t think it’s about Jake kicking goals, and he’s really clear on that. I’m not worried about him winning the Coleman. I hope he’s not either. It’s about the collective.”
Jayden Hunt’s return from a toe injury means Andrew Gaff has been dropped for the second time this season.
Tall defender Harry Edwards is out for Josh Rotham, while premiership hero Dom Sheed (hamstring) is sidelined.
Former Hawk Tyler Brockman has earned a recall for the first time since being charged with dangerous driving in an incident that left a lamppost flattened on May 4.
“He made a mistake, and he needs to suffer the consequences for that when the time’s right,” Simpson said of Brockman, who was goalless across six games this year before his off-field issues surfaced.
“But within the four walls, we need to take care of him and try to get him a career that gives the club as much as we give him. The metrics we needed him to hit before he became available, he’s done that. So that’s the work ethic, the GPS profile we need from him, and the standards around the gym and that sort of stuff. And then there’s some off-field stuff we’re going to work on, and that will take years.”
