REIGNING premier Collingwood faces an in-form Geelong in a huge Friday night clash at the MCG.
The Magpies have dropped out of the top eight following consecutive losses and now needs to beat Geelong in the round 18 opener on Friday night to get its premiership defence back on track.
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Collingwood (8-6-2) has suffered back-to-back defeats as a mounting injury list takes its toll, with the reigning premier also running out of lives in close results.
The Magpies had not lost a match decided by two goals or less in more than a year, while winning 11 of them since then, but are now needing to rediscover their form and fitness with a testing run home still to come.
Geelong (10-6) has shown promising signs of a return to form in comprehensive victories over Hawthorn and Essendon and could now make a statement with a third win in a row on Friday night.
With a refreshed midfield powering their success, the Cats are right back in the hunt for a top-four spot with the Pies one of only three finals contenders to come in the run home.
The Pies have regained Jamie Elliott and John Noble and recalled Reef McInnes, who has been named the sub, with the trio in for Charlie Dean, Jeremy Howe and Brody Mihocek, while the Cats are unchanged.
Ollie Henry will be Geelong's sub for the second week in a row.
Collingwood v Geelong at the MCG, 7.40pm AEST
NO LATE CHANGES
SUBSTITUTES
Collingwood: Reef McInnes
Geelong: Ollie Henry
