Collingwood forward Dan McStay tears ACL at pre-season training

Collingwood already faced challenges with its key forward depth before Dan McStay suffered an ACL injury. Where does this blow leave the Magpies?

Collingwood will go into its premiership defence hit by a massive injury blow with Dan McStay expected to miss the entire season after an ACL tear.

This masthead revealed on Friday McStay had gone down with a serious knee injury that was later confirmed as an ACL tear.

The club already has five players attempting to win a vacant list spot but with a second spot vacant might now have to pull off another spectacular recruiting find after 2023 summer rookie Oleg Markov became a premiership player. McStay went down at training on Friday with a knee injury and immediately had scans to assess the damage.

But the club’s worst fears were confirmed and while McStay would have up to 10 months to rehab the injury it is less likely he would be ready in time for a late finals push next September.

Collingwood forward Dan McStay in a knee brace in September. Picture: Michael Klein.

McStay tore his ACL at Magpies training on Friday. Picture: Michael Klein

McStay had only returned to training this week after his finals medial ligament injury and while the Pies would hold out some small hope he could return for finals it is extremely unlikely.

McStay can aggressively rehab his knee while assessing his progress but would likely need to be playing VFL in early August in nine months time to be any chance of playing a meaningful finals role in the senior side.

“This is unfortunate news for Dan who is likely to miss the 2024 season,” football boss Graeme Wright said.

“Dan sustained an anterior cruciate ligament injury during today’s training session. He had returned to training this week after recovering from a medial ligament injury sustained in our Preliminary Final last season.

“We are all extremely disappointed for Dan, and our entire Club will rally around him during this difficult time and throughout his rehab journey.”

The club will have to hope young athletic forward Ash Johnson is ready to step up, but McStay was the centrepiece of the club’s plans in attack.

While Brody Mihocek will remain a valuable forward option, the Pies believed McStay’s ability to crash packs would have brought Jamie Elliott and new forward Lachie Schultz into the game.

Magpies coach Craig Macrae and McStay after the grand fina win. Picture: Michael Klein

The club will now have another rookie list spot open for a summer rookie but McStay had shown when he was on the park he was an instrumental part of the club’s attacking six.

McStay was ruled out of the 2023 Grand Final in heartbreaking circumstances after suffering a high grade medial ligament sprain as the Pies went on to win the flag against Brisbane.

While Billy Frampton did a solid job keeping star Brisbane interceptor Harris Andrews quiet, McStay’s marking presence would have been critical in that clash.

The Pies currently have five players training with them for a vacant summer rookie spot and can now consider whether to invite more players given a second spot.

Ex-Port Adelaide ruckman Brynn Teakle, ex-Saints mid Jack Bytel, and Pies VFL pair Campbell Hustwaite and Josh Eyre have been invited along with VAFA star Sam Sofronidis.

Sofronidis is a hybrid mid and Hustwaite a midfielder but Eyre is a 198cm swingman who averaged 2.4 intercept marks in nine VFL games for the Pies this year.

Adding another tall to the club’s key stocks would seem a priority with retired Port ruckman Scott Lycett, delisted Suns full forward Brodie McLaughlin and ex-Dons tall James Stewart (son of former Pies tall Craig) other potential options.

Having joined the club on a five-year deal worth $3 million, McStay would have hoped to bounce back hard in his second season after playing only 14 games in his first year for the Pies.

It comes as the Pies confirmed this week star defender Brayden Maynard would only be ready for full contract training in February after a shoulder reconstruction.

Goalsneak Jamie Elliott will also only be back in full training in January after a post-season shoulder clean up.