Nathan Buckley trained strongly on Friday morning and is ready to take on Sydney on Saturday night at the MCG.
The champion skipper looked confident and held nothing back, setting a wonderful example for his teammates beneath blue skies and in front of plenty of enthusiastic Magpie fans onlooking at Gosch’s Paddock.
The session was his final test before taking to the field for his first game in the black and white stripes since September 2006, after a horror run with hamstring problems throughout this season.
The 35-year-old veteran of 275 league games has been named on the wing, and after an outstanding 29-possession, four-goal effort in his comeback match for Williamstown last Saturday, is ready to help the Magpies consolidate a finals position.
Collingwood coach Mick Malthouse voiced his delight at seeing his champion midfielder available for selection.
"Fantastic result by Nathan to get back. We never expected, at the beginning of the year, that we'd be without our captain until round 21," Malthouse said at his weekly press conference at the Lexus Centre on Friday.
"As the year went on, he'd get close, and then drop away, then get close and drop away, well it almost got to the stage where you'd think 'will he get back'?"
Malthouse emphasised, though, that you can never write off a champion the calibre of Nathan Buckley.
"He's got a great resolve to play league football, to play at his best, to play at the top.
"There'd be a handful of players, maybe a few more, that would be able to do what he's done, but of course he's set such a high standard. It's no surprise that he's actually got back, (but) we were starting to run out of games."
Collingwood is sitting in sixth position with 48 points, and a win over the Swans will not only confirm a September berth, but also keep the club’s chances of a top-four finish alive.
Sydney, meanwhile, is one ladder position and two premiership points adrift of the Magpies, meaning the Swans are also fighting for their finals lives.
Adding significance to the occasion is the fact that Collingwood is on the verge of breaking the all-time annual home and away attendance record, with the club offering the 54,705th person through the gate on Saturday night an incredible prize.
"When you consider what the club's looking for this weekend, in regard to the number of people we want at the game, what a wonderful opportunity for Collingwood supporters to come along to a most important game, and being led for the first time this year by Nathan Buckley," Malthouse added.
CLICK HERE to find out more of this very special offer for Saturday night’s game.
The champion skipper looked confident and held nothing back, setting a wonderful example for his teammates beneath blue skies and in front of plenty of enthusiastic Magpie fans onlooking at Gosch’s Paddock.
The session was his final test before taking to the field for his first game in the black and white stripes since September 2006, after a horror run with hamstring problems throughout this season.
The 35-year-old veteran of 275 league games has been named on the wing, and after an outstanding 29-possession, four-goal effort in his comeback match for Williamstown last Saturday, is ready to help the Magpies consolidate a finals position.
Collingwood coach Mick Malthouse voiced his delight at seeing his champion midfielder available for selection.
"Fantastic result by Nathan to get back. We never expected, at the beginning of the year, that we'd be without our captain until round 21," Malthouse said at his weekly press conference at the Lexus Centre on Friday.
"As the year went on, he'd get close, and then drop away, then get close and drop away, well it almost got to the stage where you'd think 'will he get back'?"
Malthouse emphasised, though, that you can never write off a champion the calibre of Nathan Buckley.
"He's got a great resolve to play league football, to play at his best, to play at the top.
"There'd be a handful of players, maybe a few more, that would be able to do what he's done, but of course he's set such a high standard. It's no surprise that he's actually got back, (but) we were starting to run out of games."
Collingwood is sitting in sixth position with 48 points, and a win over the Swans will not only confirm a September berth, but also keep the club’s chances of a top-four finish alive.
Sydney, meanwhile, is one ladder position and two premiership points adrift of the Magpies, meaning the Swans are also fighting for their finals lives.
Adding significance to the occasion is the fact that Collingwood is on the verge of breaking the all-time annual home and away attendance record, with the club offering the 54,705th person through the gate on Saturday night an incredible prize.
"When you consider what the club's looking for this weekend, in regard to the number of people we want at the game, what a wonderful opportunity for Collingwood supporters to come along to a most important game, and being led for the first time this year by Nathan Buckley," Malthouse added.
CLICK HERE to find out more of this very special offer for Saturday night’s game.
