AFL 2024: Collingwood confirms VFL comeback for Daniel McStay

Huge roars erupted from Collingwood players at training, but a star’s return comes amid a fresh injury setback for another forward.

Dan McStay takes a contested mark during a Collingwood training session. Picture: Daniel Pockett / Getty Images

Collingwood has resisted pressure to bring Daniel McStay straight into its senior side, with the key forward to begin his rapid comeback from an ACL injury via the VFL.

The decision comes despite the Magpies losing another forward target with Jeremy Howe all but ruled out of Friday night’s clash against Geelong due to hamstring tightness.

McStay will be eased back through the reserves, while Ash Johnson, Reef McInnes and a returning Jamie Elliott all loom as options to replace Howe and Brody Mihocek.

Magpies coach Craig McRae said the need to restrict McStay’s minutes in his first game back meant it was too difficult to use him against the Cats, but he did not rule out a call-up the following week against Hawthorn.

HE’S BACK! 🥹

295 days after his last competitive game, Daniel McStay will make his return to football in this Saturday’s @collingwoodVFL clash against Geelong at Victoria Park 🖤🤍 pic.twitter.com/BIl5Zf5vS8

— Collingwood FC (@CollingwoodFC) July 10, 2024

“Yeah, Dan’s going to play VFL this week. He’s been out for eight months, and it’s a testament to how hard he’s worked to get his chance to come back and play,’ McRae said.

“At AFL level, you can’t play with compromise, in terms of if you want to play a certain amount of minutes, and come off and get some treatment or whatever.

“We can’t do that at AFL level … at VFL level we can, so Dan will play VFL some minutes.”

McStay was at the centre of raucous celebrations at the end of Collingwood’s training session on Wednesday, but McRae said the cheers were actually for rehabilitation manager Dean Filopoulos, who had ironically recovered from his own injury.

He credited Filopoulos with orchestrating McStay’s VFL return on Sunday only 225 days after he ruptured his ACL training at the same venue – Victoria Park.

“(McStay) is so strong, a testament to our high performance team. Deano does incredible work with him,” the coach said.

“Dean, he got a stress fracture (in his foot) this year because he had so many guys in rehab, but he’s working really hard for others and we want to appreciate those people in our environment and give them credit.”

Collingwood is set to regain Jamie Elliott but Jeremy Howe will miss the crucial Friday night clash against Geelong due to a tight hamstring. Picture: Dylan Burns / Getty Images

Howe left training early for the second time this week, with McRae effectively putting a line through his prospects for the Friday night clash.

“Apparently, he had some awareness at training on Tuesday – we got a scan, and there was nothing on the scan, then he comes and trains today and he’s still got a bit of awareness,” he said.

“I don’t know what that means, it’s probably obvious that he won’t play though.”

Elliott looked set to return as he trained fully and booted an impressive snap goal on the run after a fast-paced period of match simulation.

“If training form is anything to go by, he’ll be hard not to pick,” McRae said of the veteran forward who has spent close to three months on the sidelines with a vascular issue.

McRae said Ash Johnson was firmly in the selection frame after a five-goal haul in the VFL last week but urged the maligned key forward to reproduce the same level of performance consistently.

“I was really pleased to go down to Frankston and watch Ash perform at his best. Someone who we’ve just been wanting to come out of himself and grow,” McRae said.

“Anything in his area, he was marking it. His name will come up for consideration. I’d like to see him do it regularly, I’d love to see him do it again. Whether that’s with us or VFL, we’ll wait and see.”

Originally published as AFL 2024: Collingwood confirms VFL comeback for Daniel McStay