COLLINGWOOD forward Chris Dawes says very few players would be feeling safe in the Magpies’ line-up as they head towards finals.

The ladder-leading Collingwood plays Geelong this week in a top-of-the-table clash that many pundits believe will be a preview of the grand final.

The Magpie match committee has taken a strong ‘horses-for-courses’ approach to team selection this season, and Dawes, who has been in the system for four years but has only begun to play regular AFL football this year, said he wasn’t alone in not feeling secure in the side.

“Probably not, and I don’t think that’s a bad thing necessarily, because I’m aware … I’m not playing for my spot each week, but there is pressure on me to perform, even if we do win there are other blokes who can come in,” he said at the St Kilda Sea Baths on Tuesday morning.

“So no, I don’t have complete comfort in my spot, and I think very few blokes in our team actually would.

“This is my fourth year in the AFL, and I know they harp on about big blokes taking longer, but in terms of my development, it was probably frustrating that I wasn’t at the level last year.

“I think I’m capable of holding my spot in an AFL side; I’m in there at the moment so I’m comfortable, but that’s what you’d expect of a fourth-year player, I think.”

Dawes, who has played 22 games, said it was reasonable if people saw him as one of the lower-ranked players in the side.

“That’s probably fair enough - I’m one of the least-experienced players, and my form’s probably been much more patchy than the others.

“I’m still in the team because I can play my role, so that doesn’t really faze me too much.”

The Magpies have received a boost in the build-up to the game with the news that midfielder Sharrod Wellingham has been cleared of serious injury and could play in the match.

Wellingham copped a knock above the knee in the side’s thrashing of Carlton on the weekend, but has been diagnosed with bone-bruising and is a chance to play this week.

He had a strong first half against the Blues with 19 possessions and five tackles, but then sat out the match after the long break.

Dawes said the word was that if the 22-year-old got through training, he would be up for selection.

“I don’t know what the diagnosis is, but my understanding is that he’ll train, and provided he gets through training then he’ll be in the mix.”