Sick Magpies below a cloud for Carlton AFL conflict

Collingwood are set to make late calls on Ash Johnson and Jack Ginnivan with the pair doubtful for the large AFL conflict with Carlton due to sickness.

The ladder-leading Magpies had been on excessive alert on Friday, sending each gamers dwelling from coaching to maintain them away from teammates and employees forward of Sunday’s conflict.

The pair had been named within the chosen crew hours later however there was solely room for fit-again ruckman Darcy Cameron on the emergency record.

Magpies coach Craig McRae mentioned Johnson and Ginnivan will likely be re-assessed after a light-weight coaching session on Saturday.

“They’ve each kind of bought the person flu, if you happen to like. Totally different (ranges) of it, we’ll have to attend and see,” McRae mentioned.

“We have got a precept proper now as a result of this time final yr everybody bought sick, together with myself, and I mentioned, ‘If you happen to’re sick, you are not coming in’.

“We meet them on the door after which ship them dwelling, and people two bought despatched dwelling.

“I am undecided precisely the place that matches. We’ll wait and see within the subsequent 24 hours.”

Cameron has recovered from a knee damage that has saved him sidelined since spherical three and skilled with Collingwood’s essential group on Friday.

The No.1 ruckman shapes as a logical inclusion for Johnson if the latter just isn’t handed match, although McRae additionally hinted Cameron might additionally play because the substitute.

“We’ll weigh up what numbers Darcy has carried out by way of load and whether or not we begin him or we might sub him,” McRae mentioned.

Collingwood have needed to get inventive within the face of a ruck personnel disaster this season, however are actually getting their key items again collectively.

Mason Cox was the star of final week’s massive win over GWS in his second recreation again after recovering from a ruptured spleen.

McRae is hopeful the American cult determine will rebuild the complementary ruck-forward partnership with Cameron that helped propel the Magpies to a preliminary last final yr.

“I might prefer to assume that we get again to what we had all of final yr the place there is a balanced method to all of it,” McRae mentioned.

“There’s respect in direction of the (ruck-forward) mixture of each however understanding Darcy’s been out for plenty of weeks.

“I do not assume we’re there but however we would like to have the ability to work in direction of that once more.”

Australian Related Press