COLLINGWOOD is likely to be boosted by the return of ruckman Josh Fraser for Friday night’s crunch match with Hawthorn at the MCG.
Coach Mick Malthouse said the big man had “pulled up OK” following last week’s match with Collingwood’s VFL side and training this week, with the Magpies’ match committee to weigh up whether to select the former No.1 draft pick for the blockbuster.
Should Fraser return he would be a welcome addition for Malthouse.
Despite being hammered to the tune of eight goals by Essendon last week the coach said he was “always confident” heading into a match and believed his team could beat the Hawks, despite coming off second best the last time the two teams met.
Hawthorn belted Collingwood by 65 points in round seven but Malthouse said his team had taken risks in the final quarter to get back into the match and been blown away.
“We were comprehensively beaten in the last quarter [last time],” Malthouse said.
“I thought up until that time we were competitive. We needed all the planets aligned at three-quarter time to win the game from where we were but we weren’t necessarily right out of the contest.
“We took a gamble at three-quarter time … I think we were 22 points down or something like that. We could have ended 22 points down by [doing] the same thing or we could’ve had a real crack at it and just change things marginally and [we did and] they took full advantage of it.”
Malthouse, while questioning whether his team was up to it after last week’s match, said his side’s performance this year wasn’t as bad as some pundits had suggested.
He pointed out that at the same stage last year his team had a percentage of 100.
After round 17 of the 2007 season the Magpies were sixth on the ladder having won 10 matches.
A year later Collingwood might have won one less match but is again sixth on the table. However Malthouse’s team boasts a far healthier percentage of 113.
“It might surprise you … what I’m saying [is] are we off the boil?
“We’re playing some good football sides. We’re also trying to do it without some of our key players.”
Malthouse said while all teams faced injuries at different stages throughout a year, little had been made of his side’s battle for a fit and healthy list.
“I’ve never used injuries [as an excuse] but I’m amazed that you blokes haven’t sort of said ‘well you know you’ve got through’,” he said.
“At the beginning of the year we had [Simon] Prestigiacomo and [Sean] Rusling, full forward and full back … Rusling played one game, Prestigiacomo hasn’t played any.”
Malthouse said Anthony Rocca and Josh Fraser’s absence had also been critical but he believed people had taken little notice of their stints on the sidelines.
“I know other sides are like this as well but unless we point it out … [people take the view] it’s always a lack of form or the side’s gone backwards.
