2019 Round 3: The Team & Preview

2019 AFL Round 3 COLLINGWOOD v WEST COAST Time & Place: Saturday April 6, 7:25pm EDT MCG TV: Fox Footy 7:20pm EDT Weather: Min 17 Max 20 Chance of rain 10%: 1mm Wind: WSW 13kph Betting: Collingwood $1.46 West Coast $2.60

B: Brayden Maynard 37, Jordan Roughead 23, Jeremy Howe 38

HB: Jack Crisp 25, Darcy Moore 30, Tom Langdon 8

C: Chris Mayne 16, Scott Pendlebury 10, Steele Sidebottom 22

HF: Josh Thomas 24, Mason Cox 46, Jaidyn Stephenson 1

F: Jamie Elliott 5, Brody Mihocek 41, Jordan De Goey 2

Foll: Brodie Grundy 4, Dayne Beams 11, Taylor Adams 13

I/C: Tom Phillips 21, Adam Treloar 7, James Aish 14, Levi Greenwood 19

Emerg: Flynn Appleby 31, Ben Crocker 39, Travis Varcoe 18, Callum Brown 17

IN: Adams
OUT: Varcoe

Collingwood News Mason Cox Mason Cox is to play in Saturday's Grand Final rematch against West Coast, after the tall forward's one-match ban was overturned at the AFL Tribunal on Tuesday night. After a complex case that took more than an hour to play out, the jury deliberated for just six minutes before finding Cox not guilty of intentional rough conduct against Richmond defender Dylan Grimes. Cox's charge was downgraded to careless conduct as a result of the Tribunal's hearing, meaning he will still be made to pay a $3000 fine as a result of the incident. The Collingwood forward essentially pleaded not guilty to two of the Match Review's three gradings made last Friday – that of intentional conduct and low impact. Their case in relation to the argument of impact was aided by Richmond's medical report, which showed that Grimes displayed no signs of concussion as a result of the collision. But while the Tribunal still thought the contact was worthy of being graded low, they didn't believe it constituted an intentional grading. Collingwood welcomes back inside midfielder Taylor Adams for Saturday night’s clash against West Coast at the MCG. In his highly anticipated return, Adams will wear a protective glove after recent surgery to repair a lingering finger issue and was this week cleared for action by his surgeon. The 25-year-old provides further strength to the Pies’ midfield that goes head-to-head with the likes of Andrew Gaff, Dom Sheed, Luke Shuey and Elliot Yeo. “The start of my season has been a bit delayed, but it’s not a bad thing in the end," Adams told Track Talk. “The first couple of weeks (after suffering the injury) were pretty tough, then once the games came around I felt really involved with the boys and training was really good. “The extra four weeks (of training without playing) wasn’t too bad - bit of running and a bit of ball work, so I’m feeling good. “I’m looking forward to getting out there on Saturday. “I was ticked off by the surgeon on Monday. He was really happy with the progress and the range of the finger, so we’ll see how it goes. “I’m feeling really confident.” Adams has replaced Travis Varcoe in the Pies’ side. The first bounce is set for 7.25pm, with in excess of 60,000 fans expected to head to the ‘G for the Grand Final rematch. Flynn Appleby, Ben Crocker, Travis Varcoe and Rupert Wills have been named as emergencies. Will Hoskin-Elliott (knee) and Daniel Wells (foot) were among those unavailable for selection.

AFL Preview Round 3 Collingwood v West Coast Last time they met: MCG, Grand Final, 2018: West Coast 11.13 (79) defeated Collingwood 11.8 (74) In an epic, seesawing decider, the Magpies kicked the first five goals before the Eagles slowly clawed their way back and ultimately claimed their fourth premiership after Dom Sheed slotted one the great Grand Final goals. Teammate Luke Shuey was awarded the Norm Smith Medal. What it means for Collingwood: If a comprehensive win over Richmond last week didn't already show the Pies will again be a formidable opponent this season, a victory over the reigning premier will absolutely confirm it. How Collingwood wins: The Pies are a more rounded side since they played in the Grand Final with Darcy Moore and Jordan Roughead capable of handling the Eagles' tall forwards, while the inclusion of Dayne Beams and the Eagles' loss of ruckman Scott Lycett could swing the midfield battle. The stat: The Eagles have won their past three games against Collingwood, two of them at the MCG after giving up considerable starts. The match-up: Jack Darling v Darcy Moore Darling (ranked No. 106 in the Official AFL Player Ratings) bagged a game-high four goals in Can Mihocek take McGovern out of the game? Picture: AFL Photos the big win over Greater Western Sydney last round and is likely to be opposed by a primed Moore (No. 330), who has been a superb addition to a previously undersized defence. It’s a big week for: Brody Mihocek The Magpies key forward will have his hands full combatting brilliant Eagles defender Jeremy McGovern, a rebounding specialist who zones off to intercept or mark as the third man in. Mihocek was in good form in the win over Richmond and will need to make McGovern accountable and not allow him to mark at will. Big call: The three most influential players will be Pies who didn't play in last year's Grand Final: Darcy Moore, Dayne Beams and Jamie Elliott. Prediction: Magpies by five points