Collingwood v Fremantle
Friday March 14, 7.50pmEtihad Fox Footy / 7mate 7.30pm Weather: Min 15 Max 27 Chance of rain 50%: < 1mm Wind: SE 10kph Betting: Collingwood $2.30 Fremantle $1.63 |
However, former GWS midfielder Taylor Adams will make his debut in the black and white and recent draftee Tom Langdon is considered likely to play.
Reid has been battling a calf injury he sustained in the Magpies' practice match against Gold Coast nearly two weeks ago.
White has also been struggling with a tight calf that emerged on Sunday morning.
Director of football Rodney Eade confirmed the pair wouldn't play after they were restricted to jogging laps and light kicking at training on Wednesday before they disappeared inside before the session's end.
"We made the decision not to train them. The feeling was they might have been able to get through but there was some small risk that they might have been able to hurt themselves," Eade said.
"We've decided not to take any risks with any players and they won't play on Friday.
"The thought was that really round one, except for finals, is probably the fastest game of the year and it's certainly a game you can be caught short in if you get some injuries during the game.
"They were close enough to be considered to train. If we played next week, they'd be right."
Both players are expected to be available to face the Sydney Swans in round two on March 29.
Eade said White's complaint had flared up after he got through training on Friday and Saturday unscathed.
"It's a real odd one. It's not at training and not in a game, his pre-season has been very good and we think he's going to add another dimension to our forward line," he said.
"He believes he didn't do anything on the Saturday … it's strange to get a tight calf in that situation."
The absence of White means the Pies have to consider what combination to go with when it comes to stopping giant Docker Aaron Sandilands in the ruck.
They have elevated Ben Hudson from the rookie list and have the options of Brodie Grundy, Quinten Lynch and Jarrod Witts, who trained on Wednesday.
"Huddo has done well in the past. He's got a reasonable record of at least nullifying Sandilands at times, and he's a big unit so I think it's very difficult for any player to have an effect on him unless you're Naitanui who can jump over him," Eade said.
"That's one of many good players they've got but that will be taken into consideration."
Eade confirmed Adams would play after an impressive pre-season while Langdon, the Pies' third selection from last year's draft, was strongly being considered.
"Young Tommy has done everything asked of him so far in the pre-season so it wouldn't surprise if he played," he said.
Alan Toovey trained ahead of his expected return from a knee reconstruction while young pair Tim Broomhead and Nathan Freeman ran solidly.
Paul Seedsman, who is recovering from hip surgery, appeared later in the session and ran laps.
Marley Williams also trained, with Eade confirming the small defender would remain in Melbourne ahead of his sentencing in Perth next month for an assault conviction.
"He'll stay here. He wants to stay here," he said.
"He'll train over that period and we're giving him as much support as we can in that time and he'll head to Perth in late April."
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