FORMER skipper Scott Burns is spruiking his new club's chances but Collingwood assistant Mark Neeld was keeping his cards a little closer to his chest after the squad wrapped up preparations for Saturday night's NAB Cup opener.
Collingwood trained at Gosch's Paddock on Wednesday morning and will travel to Perth on Friday to take on the West Coast Eagles in the first game of the pre-season competition.
While not naming players, Neeld promised there would be new faces and draftees Steele Sidebottom and Dayne Beams are tipped to be among those after impressing in recent trial matches.
Burns joined the Eagles' coaching staff in the off-season and Neeld – who will take the reins on Saturday with Mick Malthouse likely to sit boundary-side – said the phone had been running hot in the lead-up to the Subiaco Oval clash.
Burns has been talking up the Eagles' prospects, in particular the fitness of premiership trio Dean Cox, Daniel Kerr and Darren Glass.
"I think Scott Burns has phoned every single coach that we have and Burnsy’s tried to let us know how they’re travelling," Neeld said.
"Clearly those three names … have been high on Burnsy’s report and telling us that they’re all in tip-top physical condition, all in tip-top form.
"So we’d be expecting them to play and, if you listen to Scott … they’ll play well."
However, the real interest for Magpies fans will be what squad heads west.
Neeld, as he forecast after the club's final intra-club hit-out last week, predicted a "mixture of youth and experience" when the Pies announce their 29-man squad on Thursday.
"We will have match committee this afternoon [where we’ll pick the team]," Neeld said after the 90-minute session.
"There’ll be four or five of our new guys that’ll be in that squad that’ll be announced tomorrow."
The unlucky Sean Rusling, who trained throughout Wednesday's hit-out, may be one of those as he fights back from his shoulder injury.
"We said on Friday that Sean would be a chance if he got through training today," Neeld said.
"We need to now go and get the medical report from the sports science staff and we’ll sit around as a coaching group this afternoon and work out whether or not Sean’s included.
"I would say that Sean’s really looking forward to getting back out there.
"That’s all we can do as football coaches to make sure that they’re prepared for body contact. Sean hasn’t missed any of the tackling activities that we’ve done throughout pre-season, so we would be expecting that if Sean plays he’s right to go."
Heath Shaw and Alan Didak – both suspended for the Pies’ final six matches last season – are also set to play against the Eagles.
Neeld said Ryan Cook, who is under a police investigation following an incident at a hotel in Sale, would "probably" be included in the squad.
And forward Paul Medhurst (foot) also joined teammates on the track, despite his injury preventing him from moving freely.
"Paul will play a couple of the NAB Cup games and Anthony (Rocca), we’ll just see how he progresses with his rehab program," Neeld said.
