COLLINGWOOD coach Nathan Buckley is not perturbed about histeam being the only likely finalist scheduled to play on Sunday in round 23.
But he said he would expect the Magpies to play its firstfinal on the Sunday if it did make the eight.
Collingwood will play North Melbourne on Sunday in the finalround, leaving it with one fewer day to prepare than its opponent for the firstfinal.
The Magpies sit seventh on the ladder with 11 wins and aretwo games clear of ninth-placed Carlton. However they have a tough draw,playing three top four teams in the next three weeks.
Buckley is more worried about the game ahead againstEssendon on Sunday than the prospect of finals.
"It's probably another one of those things we can'tcontrol. If we look after all the elements within our control, within ourgrasp, the rest is just incidental to be honest," Buckley said.
"We have to look after this Sunday before we worryabout a Sunday in five weeks."
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Buckley said Dale Thomas was moving well and was one weekaway from joining in ball work as he recovered from a mid-season ankleoperation.
"His application has been really good. He is doingeverything in his power. Whether he is coming from too far back, we will onlyfind that out in time."
Buckley remained cautious about being too definitive onThomas' return date.
He said Thomas would only need one game before the finals toplay a part, but he would have to prove he was physically ready to play at theintensity required.
One obvious selection dilemma ahead this week for Buckley iswhether or not to persevere with the two young ruckman, Jarrod Witts and BrodieGrundy, against experienced opposition.
Grundy made his debut against the Giants and impressed whileWitts was handy in just his seventh game.
However premiership ruckman Darren Jolly will be available forthe first time since round 12 and Ben Hudson is likely to have recovered from acalf injury.
"Commonsense would tell you that the experience isgoing to be important," Buckley said.
"They were impressive. Those two [Witts and Grundy] aregiving us questions to answer in match committee.
"That is a good position to be in … we have fourlegitimate options there as well as Quinten Lynch, who performed really welllast week in the VFL."
Ben Reid's fitness will be determined later in the week ashe left the ground late against the Giants with an ankle problem.
Buckley said that if he played he was likely to remain as apermanent forward, with Lachie Keeffe and Nathan Brown filling the keydefensive posts.
He was encouraged with what he saw against the Giants withReid up forward and wanted to test the structure against a top four team.
"Last week 'Clokey' [Travis] was the target nine times,Reid six and Swan six going forward so that balance is better for us,"Buckley said.
"[We] just have to work a little bit harder to getnumbers into our attacking area, to give ourselves the best chance to score,but also to find other options that the opposition need to defend.
"That helps us defend that territory a little bitbetter as well and we think that is probably an area that we haven't done aswell over the last couple of weeks."
Collingwood's form has been patchy and the coach admits it'snowhere near the top three teams, yet it has still won six of its past eightgames.
After conceding on average 106 points against goodopposition in the first five rounds, it has pushed that down to 85 points.However it still sits eighth on the table for points against.
Last week's team had eight players in the line-up who didnot play against Essendon in round five, when the Magpies lost by 46 points.
"You look at the ladder and that is a real accuratereflection. We have played every side once now. We sit seventh and percentageof 110. That is where we deserve to be," Buckley said.
