COLLINGWOOD is unlikely to risk Ben Reid in the VFL finals, despite the All Australian defender qualifying for the series.
Reid managed to play the final five AFL games in 2015 after struggling to recover from a series of niggling soft tissue injuries throughout the past two seasons.
AFL.com.au understands the 26-year-old will be put in cotton wool to ensure he is ready for the 2016 pre-season.
The Magpies VFL team won an elimination final against Werribee on Saturday to progress to the semi-final against Sandringham next Sunday.
The Magpies had a number of senior listed players in the team against Werribee, but Jack Frost won't appear this week.
With Collingwood’s AFL team's season over, he is ineligible for the VFL team as he played 20 AFL games.
To qualify for VFL finals after the first week, AFL-listed players must have played at least six VFL games and no more than 12 AFL games during the season.
Collingwood has at least four players from Sunday’s game against Essendon who are qualified to play VFL finals.
Ben Kennedy, Matt Scharenberg, Jonathon Marsh and Brayden Maynard are expected to be available, although it is unsure whether the Magpies will select them for the VFL final.