2018 Round 8: The Team, Preview, Injury List

2018 AFL Round 8 COLLINGWOOD v GEELONG Time & Place: Sunday May 13, 3:20pm EST MCG TV: 7mate / Fox Footy 3:00pm EST Weather: Min 16 Max 25 Chance of rain 60%: < 1mm Wind: SSW 15kph Betting: Collingwood $2.30 Geelong $1.63

B: Flynn Appleby, Lynden Dunn, Jack Crisp

HB: Travis Varcoe, Matthew Scharenberg, Jeremy Howe

C: Steele Sidebottom, Scott Pendlebury, Tom Phillips

HF: Jordan De Goey, Darcy Moore, Will Hoskin-Elliott

F: Josh Thomas, Mason Cox, Jaidyn Stephenson

Foll: Brodie Grundy, Taylor Adams, Adam Treloar

Int (from): Jarryd Blair, Callum Brown, Sam Murray, Josh Daicos, Chris Mayne, Ben Crocker, Daniel Wells, Alex Fasolo

IN: Callum Brown, Josh Daicos, Alex Fasolo, Daniel Wells

COLLINGWOOD NEWS Scott Pendlebury has been included in Collingwood’s 26-man squad for Sunday’s big clash with Geelong at the MCG. However, a decision on whether he plays won’t be made until after the team’s main training session at the Holden Centre on Friday. The skipper suffered an ankle injury in the narrow win over the Brisbane Lions at the Gabba last weekend. He was subsequently cleared of serious damage but was diagnosed with bruising around his tibia and ankle. The Pies have added four players to the team that defeated the Lions, with Callum Brown, Josh Daicos, Alex Fasolo and Daniel Wells all named on the extended bench for Sunday’s game. Collingwood will name its final 22-man team at 5pm on Friday. GOOD RECORD The Pies should go into the game with plenty of confidence. Not only are they coming off an entertaining win over the Lions, they have won three of their past four games against Geelong. However, they were beaten by the Cats in their most recent clash, which was in round 22 last year. PIES’ HIGH SCORES Collingwood has scored 100 points in four of its past five games. It’s a dramatic improvement from the opening two rounds of the season, when the Magpies scored 67 points against Hawthorn and 79 against Greater Western Sydney. PHILLIPS POWERING AHEAD Pies midfielder Tom Phillips has enjoyed a great season so far. He is averaging 28 disposals and six marks per game and has also kicked four goals. Phillips racked up 38 touches against Richmond in round six and was sensational against the Lions last weekend, finishing the game with 28 disposals, 10 marks and a goal.

AFL PREVIEW ROUND 8 COLLINGWOOD V GEELONG AFL LAST FIVE TIMES R22, 2017: Geelong 10.10 (70) d Collingwood 9.5 (59) at the MCG R6, 2017: Collingwood 15.17 (107) d Geelong 11.12 (78) at the MCG R9, 2016: Collingwood 16.8 (104) d Geelong 11.14 (80) at the MCG R22, 2015: Collingwood 17.8 (110) d Geelong 9.8 (62) at the MCG R6, 2015: Geelong 15.10 (100) d Collingwood 8.11 (59) at the MCG LADDER POSITIONS Collingwood: 9 Geelong: 6 INJURY LIST Jamie Elliott (hamstring) – available Max Lynch (ankle) – available Rupert Wills (soreness) – available Scott Pendlebury (ankle) – test Tom Langdon (leg) – 1 week Brayden Maynard (ankle) – 1-2 weeks Ben Reid (Achilles) – 1-2 weeks Josh Smith (hamstring) – 3-4 weeks James Aish (knee) – 8-10 weeks Kayle Kirby (medical condition) – 12-14 weeks Tim Broomhead (broken leg) – season Tyson Goldsack (knee) – season SUMMARY Collingwood has a good recent record against Geelong, and this time the Magpies are far better placed to knock of the more-fancied Cats. After a slow start, the Pies have won four of their past five games, and they have done it with a more attacking style with an emphasis on fast chains of handball, while generally squeezing the opposition (although in the past five-and-a-bit quarters they have conceded 28 goals to their own 22). The ninth-placed Magpies are expected to be without skipper Scott Pendlebury (ankle), while sixth-placed Geelong will be boosted by the return of Gary Ablett. The Cats have won three of their past four games and are fresh from belting the Giants at home, with Mitch Duncan finding touch and Tim Kelly enhancing his standing as one of the season's best recruits. AFL THE SIX POINTS Collingwood has won three of the past four clashes between the clubs. Geelong's 11-point win late last year was the closest finish between them since early in 2014. Collingwood has won two of their five games at the MCG this year, while Geelong has one win from two games. The Cats have won four of their past six games on the hallowed turf since the second half of last season. The Magpies' scoring has improved dramatically. In the opening two rounds they averaged just 73 points, but have since lifted it to 99 a game. They have reached 100 points in four of their past five outings.  The Cats' midfield was the difference when the sides last met in round 22 last year, with Patrick Dangerfield and Mitch Duncan each having 32 possessions and Sam Menegola 28 in Geelong's 11-point victory. Dangerfield and Menegola also kicked two goals apiece. Collingwood remains the highest possession team and is one of only two teams to average more than 400 a game. The Cats are equal-eighth with 374. Collingwood ruckman Brodie Grundy has climbed to a career-best ranking of No. 14 in the Schick AFL Player Ratings. He is the third-ranked Magpie and is first among ruckmen.  IT'S A BIG WEEK FOR … Gary Ablett After overcoming his second hamstring injury since February, Ablett is back, but doubts remain over whether the Cats' decision to recruit a now injury-prone veteran will ultimately prove a success. A vintage performance would at least allay some concerns, and he is odds-on to do just that given he has averaged 40 possessions in his past four games against the Pies. PREDICTION: Geelong by 15 points