2018 Round 6: The Team, Preview, Injury List

2018 AFL Round 6 COLLINGWOOD v RICHMOND Time & Place: Sunday April 29, 3:20pm EST MCG TV: 7mate / Fox Footy 3:00pm EST Weather: Min 11 Max 19 Chance of rain 10%: < 1mm Wind: SSW 12kph Betting: Collingwood $2.60 Richmond $1.50

B: Sam Murray, Lynden Dunn, Jack Crisp

HB: Brayden Maynard, Matthew Scharenberg, Jeremy Howe

C: Steele Sidebottom, Scott Pendlebury, Tom Phillips

HF: Jordan De Goey, Ben Reid, Will Hoskin-Elliott

F: James Aish, Mason Cox, Jaidyn Stephenson

Foll: Brodie Grundy, Callum Brown, Adam Treloar

Int (from): Jarryd Blair, Josh Smith, Josh Thomas, Flynn Appleby, Chris Mayne, Ben Crocker, Brayden Sier, Tom Langdon

IN: Flynn Appleby, Jarryd Blair, Chris Mayne, Brayden Sier, Josh Smith

OUT: Travis Varcoe (managed)

NEW: Flynn Appleby (19, Greater Western Victoria U18)

COLLINGWOOD NEWS Collingwood will make at least one change for Sunday’s blockbuster clash with Richmond at the MCG. The Magpies named a 26-man squad on Thursday night, with Travis Varcoe, who has been managed, the only player to go out of the team that defeated Essendon on ANZAC Day. Flynn Appleby, Jarryd Blair, Chris Mayne, Brayden Sier and Josh Smith have come into the squad but all have been named on the extended bench. The Pies will confirm their final 22-man team on Friday evening. Tight Turnaround Collingwood has just three days to prepare for Sunday’s game. As part of their recovery from the ANZAC Day match, the players visited the Alchemy Cryotherapy Clinic in South Yarra on Thursday where they were exposed to temperatures of -110 degrees in an effort to be at their best for the clash with the Tigers. Sensational Steele There’s no doubt that Steele Sidebottom is in career-best form at the moment. The star midfielder and part-time forward now leads the AFL Coaches’ Association Champion Player of the Year award. He is the only player to poll votes in each of the first five rounds. Pressure Versus Pressure Richmond has won plaudits for its high-pressure game-style, but the Pies are planning to fight fire with fire on Sunday. “We’ll do our best to handle that pressure but then pressure them," defender Sam Murray told Collingwood Media. We’re a high-pressure side as well. We like to hold the footy in our front half … so if we can play out own game, hopefully it will work.”

AFL PREVIEW ROUND 6 COLLINGWOOD V RICHMOND AFL LAST FIVE TIMES R2, 2017, Richmond 14.15 (99) d Collingwood 11.14 (80) at the MCG R20, 2016, Richmond 14.8 (92) d Collingwood 11.11 (77) at the MCG R2, 2016, Collingwood 13.9 (87) d Richmond 12.14 (86) at the MCG R21, 2015, Richmond 23.9 (147) d Collingwood 7.14 (56) at the MCG R7, 2015, Richmond 16.9 (105) d Collingwood 15.10 (100) at the MCG LADDER POSITIONS Collingwood: 5 Richmond: 1 INJURY LIST Taylor Adams (hamstring) - 1-2 weeks Jamie Elliott (hamstring) - 1-2 weeks Kayle Kirby (medical condition) - TBC Levi Greenwood (knee) - 2-3 weeks Darcy Moore (hamstring) - 1-2 weeks Josh Smith (hamstring) - 1-2 weeks Tim Broomhead (broken leg) - season Tyson Goldsack (knee) - season SUMMARY It's an AFL dream: Collingwood and Richmond firing and facing off in front of a packed house at the MCG. The Tigers are atop the AFL ladder for the first time in a home and away season since 1995, and if they win this one they'll have claimed a club record of 12 successive victories at the MCG, passing a record set in 1974-75. The AFL's pressure kings will subject the handball-happy Magpies to their sternest test yet. The Pies have also won their past three games, and have claimed the scalps of Adelaide and Essendon in the past fortnight, to rocket into fifth spot. The midfield battle is mouth-watering – Dustin Martin, Trent Cotchin and co. versus Scott Pendlebury, Steele Sidebottom and Adam Treloar. Raw Pies big man Mason Cox has found some form and might well ask questions of Alex Rance and David Astbury. AFL THE SIX POINTS The victor will take extra bragging rights, given this will be their 71st clash at the MCG and the ledger is all square at 35 apiece. Richmond has won four of its past five games against Collingwood. In this period the only margin above 19 points was the Tigers' 91-point victory in round 21, 2015. Collingwood is aiming to post four consecutive wins for the first time since round 11, 2015. In the Pies' most recent games against Adelaide and Essendon, they tallied a combined 30 goals while holding their opponents to just 16 goals. The Tigers' past fortnight has also been dominant, increasing their percentage from 100.9 per cent to 137.8 per cent after tallying 31 goals to 10 against Brisbane and Melbourne. Both teams create many scoring opportunities, with the Tigers equal best for forward entries (57.6 a game) and the Magpies sixth (55.4). According to the Schick Hydro Player Ratings, Collingwood boasts more star quality. Six Magpies are among the top 65 players compared to Richmond's four.  . IT'S A BIG WEEK FOR … Adam Treloar won the Anzac Day Medal and he'll be pumped up to produce a decent encore performance against Richmond. Treloar will perhaps never live down revealing he chose to join Collingwood over Richmond because he felt the Pies were closer to a premiership. This will be the first time the two clubs have met since the Tigers won their drought-breaking flag. Last time they met, Treloar was best-afield with 35 touches and two goals in a losing side. PREDICTION: Richmond by 19 points