Collingwood set to regain stars for final pre-season game before Round 1

COLLINGWOOD is set to welcome back up to five big names for its final tune-up before Round 1 after key trio Darcy Moore, Jeremy Howe and Alex Fasolo played in a VFL intra-club match on Friday night.

Darcy Moore will play in a VFL practice match on Friday. Picture: Michael Klein

COLLINGWOOD is expected to receive a major boost for its second pre-season clash against Western Bulldogs next Saturday after three big names made a successful return from injury on Friday night.

Darcy Moore (achilles), Jeremy Howe (calf) and Alex Fasolo (shoulder) all played in a VFL intra-club match at the Holden Centre and got through unscathed.

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Howe and Moore teamed up in defence for the first time and played the first half before sitting out the final two quarters.

The returning trio was joined by Jarryd Blair, Rupert Wills, Sam Murray, Tyler Brown, Sam McLarty and Brayden Sier as senior-listed Magpies to feature in the scratch match.

Daniel Wells (achilles) and Jamie Elliott (ankle) did not play, with coach Nathan Buckley revealing the key pair are “probably another week away”.

Darcy Moore will play in a VFL practice match on Friday. Picture: Michael Klein

Jeremy Howe will also feature. Picture: Michael Klein

The potential inclusion of Moore, Howe and Fasolo as well as midfielders Adam Treloar and James Aish — who missed the practice match against GWS as a “precaution” — for the final tune-up before Round 1 will be welcomed after the Magpies, missing at least eight of their best 22, were smashed by the Giants in Canberra on Thursday night.

Moore, Howe and Fasolo were joined by Wells (achilles), Elliott (ankle), Treloar (groin soreness), Jordan De Goey (suspension) and Levi Greenwood (knee) on the sidelines.

The Magpies fielded a young side and trialled a new-look forward line spearheaded by Ben Reid and Mason Cox but with Elliott, Fasolo and De Goey all unavailable, it lacked potency and supply from the midfield.

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Collingwood was smashed in the second half and could manage only five goals as GWS’s pressure forced turnovers, while basic skill errors also proved costly.

The Giants’ win was set up by a blistering third quarter that yielded six goals from 11 scoring shots, while the Magpies were held scoreless and managed only three inside 50s for the term.

Buckley conceded his team has a “bit of work to do” before its Round 1 clash against Hawthorn on March 24.

Daniel Wells is a week away from returning. Picture: Getty

“We threw a few things around a bit tonight and I think there was a bit of posturing given we play each other in a month (Round 2),” he said.

“We definitely had a look at four or five different things we’ve been working on through pre-season, a couple of them went OK, a couple of them didn’t so we’ll be able to go back to the tape and take the learnings from that.

“First quarter was OK, after quarter time not so good.

“We didn’t do the basics real well. Our disposal was poor and we got smacked in clearances after quarter time.

“The forward line really relies on getting its fair share of supply, and after quarter-time that didn’t happen.”