Collingwood will be without two of their biggest names when they take on North Melbourne this weekend, with veteran Steele Sidebottom and skipper Darcy Moore both confirmed as outs.
Sidebottom, who’s been in sparkling form this season, highlighted by his Anzac Day heroics, has been given a scheduled rest due to an ongoing back issue that coach Craig McRae said has been “grumbling” for years.
Moore, meanwhile, is still nursing a sore AC joint after copping a knock late in the Pies’ win over Fremantle.
MORE: Dangerfield added to lengthy Geelong casualty ward
“Steele is going to rest this week, we’ll manage him, that’s been the plan for a number of weeks. He’s had a bit of a grumbling back,” McRae explained. “But he’s had that for, I want to say, the last six or seven years, to be honest.”
Houston boost amid injury blows
Despite the double setback, there’s some relief on the selection front with Dan Houston expected to play. The defender has been under an injury cloud after limping through the early part of the week, but passed fitness tests on Thursday.
“Dan had a bigger limp at the start of the week, so we’re rapt with how he’s gone about it,” said McRae. “He’ll play at the moment as long as he doesn’t pull up sore tomorrow. We’ll name him, credit to him, he did a great job to get up this week.”
MORE: The complete 2025 AFL fixture
As for Moore, the news is less optimistic.
“It’s looking unlikely for Darcy at this stage, I think we’ll rule him out … he’s another one who put himself right in the frame to play, unfortunately, there’s just a little bit of lingering stuff in the AC joint at the moment.”