Collingwood coach Craig McRae has warned his gamers to be on guard for a high-pressure onslaught from Sydney of their AFL conflict.
The Swans are combating to show their season round, having misplaced 4 of their final 5 matches amid a horror run of accidents to key gamers.
But McRae has been fast to level out the standard of Sydney’s opposition throughout that stretch, which introduced losses to Melbourne, Port Adelaide, Geelong and GWS.
The second-year Magpies mentor can also be cautious of the threatening hallmarks of John Longmire’s aspect – most notably stress.
The Swans have crushed Collingwood of their final three conferences, together with final season’s preliminary last thriller.
“It’s our next step forward and we’re under no illusions about what the Swans are going to bring,” McRae mentioned forward of Sunday’s conflict on the MCG.
“If you look at the teams they’ve played in the last five rounds, they’re (mostly) in the eight and right at the top of the ladder.
“We know what’s coming and we have to be prepared.
“They’re the No.1 pressure team in the competition.
“They’ve received a soar on us the previous few occasions we have performed them so we’ll must carry our A-game.”
Mason Cox will make a welcome return from a spleen injury to lead Collingwood’s ruck against Swans pair Peter Ladhams and Hayden McLean.
The American-born 211cm target’s comeback after five weeks on the sidelines will allow Billy Frampton to go back to defence, where Sydney superstar Lance Franklin lies in wait.
Franklin kicked a season-best three goals in last week’s single-point derby defeat to GWS after a fortnight out through injury.
The tally meant he overtook Collingwood legend Gordon Coventry as the player who has kicked multiple goals in the most AFL/VFL games (257 times).
“You all the time put together for gamers at their greatest and Buddy (Franklin) is without doubt one of the most-targeted gamers of their crew,” McRae mentioned.
“If you are not in your sport he will get a variety of alternatives to show the nice strengths that he has.”
Classy veteran Scott Pendlebury is back for Collingwood after a week out with an eye injury, with Nathan Kreuger (ribs) and Jack Ginnivan (omitted) out.
The Swans have recalled Robbie Fox and Justin McInerney, dropping Aaron Francis, Angus Sheldrick and Dylan Stephens.
In a quirk of the fixture, Sunday’s clash will be the first Collingwood-Sydney meeting in Melbourne since 2013.
The Swans maintain a 6-4 document of their Sydney contests over the past decade, whereas the Magpies received the 2020 battle on impartial turf on the Gabba.
Source: www.perthnow.com.au
