2019 Preliminary Final: The Team & Preview

2019 Preliminary Final COLLINGWOOD v GREATER WESTERN SYDNEY Time & Place: Saturday Sept. 21, 4:35pm AEST MCG TV: 7 / Fox Footy 4:30pm AEST Weather: Min 11 Max 17 Chance of rain: 60% 1-5mm Wind: WNW 17kph Betting: Collingwood $1.31 Geelong $3.50

B: John Noble, Jordan Roughead, Jeremy Howe

HB: Jack Crisp, Darcy Moore, Brayden Maynard

C: Tom Phillips, Scott Pendlebury, Steele Sidebottom

HF: Josh Thomas, Brody Mihocek, Will Hoskin-Elliott

F: Jamie Elliott, Ben Reid, Jaidyn Stephenson

Foll: Brodie Grundy, Adam Treloar, Taylor Adams

I/C: James Aish, Callum L. Brown, Chris Mayne, Rupert Wills

Emg: Josh Daicos, Jack Madgen, Matthew Scharenberg, Travis Varcoe

In: Ben Reid, James Aish
Out: Jordan De Goey (Injured), Levi Greenwood (Injured)

Milestones:: Ben Reid  - Playing 150th game

Collingwood News Ben Reid will play his 150th AFL game against the Giants Collingwood has made two changes to its side ahead of the blockbuster preliminary final against the Greater Western Sydney Giants at the MCG on Saturday. Ben Reid makes his way back into the side in place of Jordan De Goey (hamstring). It will be Reid's first senior game since round 15. The 30-year-old has trained strongly over the last four weeks since injuring his hamstring at training. Coach Nathan Buckley has been pleased with his preparation heading into Saturday afternoon's game. “He’s been in full training for about a month now.” Buckley told reporters on Thursday. It will be Reid's 150th AFL game for the Magpies. Defender James Aish returns in place of Levi Greenwood (knee) after overcoming a shoulder injury that has seen him sidelined since round 18. In what is set to be a fiery encounter, Buckley has backed in his side to stand up to the Giants' aggressive nature. "Our hardness inside stacks up for itself," Buckley said. "The way that the Giants have gone about it, I think you've got to be impressed with the steel that they have brought into their game. They were clearly challenged around that four or five weeks ago. "The niggle stuff is part of the game. You can buy into it if you want, or you can just go and play footy really hard, and that's the way we prefer to go about it." It will be a do-or-die clash at the colosseum of football that will have 80,000 fans on the edge of their seats. The Magpie Army will be out in force, cheering loud and proud to decorate the 'G black and white.

AFL 2019 Preliminary Final Collingwood v GWS What it means for Collingwood: The chance to progress to a second successive Grand Final – which would be a remarkable achievement after the tumult of 2017 – and another chance to be the finals party pooper for the Giants. What it means for GWS: An opportunity to make their first Grand Final after losing their previous preliminary finals in 2016 and 2017. It would also show great steel to win their third final in a row while missing stars Stephen Coniglio, Lachie Whitfield, Callan Ward and possibly Toby Greene. The stat: The Giants have lost both of their finals at the MCG, where they have won just two of their past 11 games. The victories were against a depleted Collingwood in round two last year and against Melbourne in round 10 this year. The match-up: Jeremy Cameron v Darcy Moore Coleman medallist Cameron (No.64 in the Official AFL Player Ratings) and intercept specialist Moore (down at No.352, affected by injury absences) are set to stage a hard-running, high-flying duel that might well be worth the admission price alone. It's a big week for: Josh Kelly With Whitfield ruled out and Greene another potential absentee, the Giants' best remaining playmaker could be required to produce a career-defining performance against a Magpie midfield that is humming. The silky left-footer's finals form has been strong, averaging 24 touches and two goals. He might need to lift that to 30 and three. Big call: Giants little man Brent Daniels and Pies opponent John Noble to stage a sprint that will remind many of ex-Swan Lewis Jetta burning off Hawk Cyril Rioli in the 2012 Grand Final. Prediction: Magpies by 16 points