Round 15: The Team

Round 15 Collingwood v Port Adelaide Thursday July 9, 7:50pm est Adelaide Oval 7mate / Fox Footy 7:30pm Weather: Min 8 Max 16 Chance of rain 80%: 1-5mm Wind: NNW 18kph Betting: Collingwood $1.91 Port Adelaide $1.91

FB: Marley Williams, Nathan Brown, Tom Langdon
HB: Brayden Maynard, Jack Frost, Alan Toovey
C: Steele Sidebottom, Dane Swan, Adam Oxley
HF: Tim Broomhead, Jesse White, Jamie Elliot
FF: Darcy Moore, Travis Cloke, Jarryd Blair
Foll: Jarrod Witts, Jack Crisp, Scott Pendlebury
Int: Alex Fasolo, Taylor Adams, Travis Varcoe, Jordan De Goey

Emg: Brodie Grundy, Ben Kennedy, Matthew Scharenberg

Fast Fact
Dane Swan, one of the greatest players in Collingwood history, will play his 250th senior game this weekend. The 31-year-old is the oldest player on Collingwood's list, having arrived at the club via the Calder Cannons and Westmeadows Football Clubs in the 2001 National Draft. Across 249 games, Swan has built a reputation as one of the finest footballers of his generation. Debuting in 2003, it took three years before his game began to flourish. But since enjoying a breakout season in 2006, Swan has gone on to feature in five All-Australian teams, win three Copeland Trophies and clinch a Brownlow Medal, as well as playing a key role in the 2010 premiership triumph. Swan will draw level in tenth position on the club's all time list of games played, alongside Lou Richards and Peter Daicos.

Collingwood News Collingwood will take an unchanged side into Thursday night’s clash with Port Adelaide at the Adelaide Oval. Positivity surrounds the Magpies’ camp despite two consecutive losses to Fremantle and Hawthorn. Coach Nathan Buckley stressed this upbeat attitude when speaking to the media before the team flew to Adelaide on Wednesday. "Our best footy stacks up," Buckley said. "We can trouble sides with our strengths and we can cover for each other at other times. It has been a really positive period for us." A trio of South Australians have been named as emergencies with Brodie Grundy, Ben Kennedy and Matthew Scharenbergall given the opportunity to return home to be on standby. However on the field, consistency remains the focus. 12 Magpies have played every game this season, with all of them expected to take on the Power in front of an intimidating Adelaide Oval crowd. From the elite to the upcoming, notable Collingwood names litter the team sheet. Scott Pendlebury arguably his best game of the season against Hawthorn as he claimed 37 disposals in a performance Buckley described as “as good as I’ve seen him play”. Named in Collingwood’s team for the 250th time is 2010 Brownlow Medallist Dane Swan. While Swan this week hinted at playing beyond his current contract expiring in 2016, Port Adelaide will be more focussed on the shorter term issue. The 31-year-old has kicked more goals against the Power than any other side (17), and had a remarkable 48-disposal outing against them in round 10, 2009. At the other end of the spectrum are second-gamers Darcy Moore and Brayden Maynard. The pair faced a baptism of fire in front of over 75,000 people at the MCG against Hawthorn on Friday night. Moore had four disposals as a tall forward before being substituted in the second half, while Maynard collected 11 possessions and had six tackles at half back. Both travel interstate for the first time in their AFL careers and have been named on the field, meaning they will be free of the substitutes vest. The Magpies gave the reigning premiers were given a scare last weekend, with a courageous performance resulting in victories in a number of statistical categories. Despite going down by ten points, the Magpies won the clearances 46 to 33 and had 20 more contested possessions in a hard-fought clash at the MCG. Collingwood's young team this week faces a Port Adelaide side desperately searching to reclaim the form which saw it reach a Preliminary Final. Ken Hinkley’s side will feature five different faces from last week's 10-point loss to Sydney and will honour the late Phil Walsh who was an assistant coach at the club in 2014. Scenes reminiscent of the seven AFL games played last weekend will be on display at Adelaide Oval with players set to wear black armbands and observe a minutes silence before the opening bounce. Buckley believes Port Adelaide players will be emotionally charged for the match, but says the game will be played in the right spirit. "I think what happens is [Walsh's death] puts a bit of perspective in footy - we have all got the connection to our clubs and to our teams and to our players and coaches internally, but you probably take a step back and reflect and see the bigger picture," Buckley said. "We're all part of the football community."