AFL finals 2023: Mason Cox and Darcy Cameron will both play against Melbourne

It could be wet and cold when Collingwood plays Melbourne, but that won’t stop coach Craig McRae making a massive selection call.

Magpies coach Craig McRae has some selection headaches. Picture: Robert Cianflone/Getty Images

Collingwood coach Craig McRae has “slept on a couple of magnets” this week but has declared one selection certainty – Mason Cox and Darcy Cameron will both play on Thursday night.

McRae said the forecast wet conditions would “somewhat” influence the Magpies’ final side to face Melbourne but confirmed his two ruckmen would both line up in the qualifying final, possibly with one starting as the sub.

All-Australian Nick Daicos was absent from the track on Tuesday, but McRae said Daicos would run again on Wednesday as he pushed for a return in the Magpies’ next game.

The coach would not say whether Daicos would be available if the Pies lost to the Demons and were forced into a semi-final next week.

“We’re hoping we’re not going to have to worry about that,” he said.

“We’ll take what we can control right now.”

Mason Cox and Darcy Cameron will both play against Melbourne. Picture: Michael Dodge / AAP

Defenders Darcy Moore and Nathan Murphy will return from injury on Thursday, while pressure forward Beau McCreery is available after serving a one-week suspension.

McRae said difficult selection calls loomed, with Jack Ginnivan performing brilliantly in McCreery’s absence in round 24 after spending most of the season on the fringes.

“It’s going to be tough, I’ve slept on a couple of magnets, not sure which way we’re going to go … we’ve got some headaches in front of us,” he said.

“I’m pretty happy to declare that (Cameron and Cox) both will play.

“What capacity, whether one starts as the sub …. we’ll work through that, but the best version of us over the last 18 months is when they’re both at their best, and we’d like to think that they’ll bring that on Thursday night.”

McRae said he was not concerned the Magpies had been “worked out” by other teams after their red hot start to the season which had guaranteed a finals berth by round 16.

McRae says Nick Daicos took a ‘step forward’ at training on Sunday but would not say whether he thought the star would be available for a hypothetical semi-final. Picture: Robert Cianflone / Getty Images

“I think we’re well aware that every opposition knows how we want to play, and we do the same for them,” he said.

“I also don’t subscribe to the theory that your best is in round 13, and it’s done … tomorrow’s the best day of my life, or at least I’m aiming for it.

“I think we’ve got great momentum in certain parts of our game that we’re keen to put on show.”

The coach himself had struggled to secure tickets for the qualifying final, but did not think the equal allocation of tickets between the top side and fourth-placed Demons was unfair on Collingwood.

“I did get online, I bought 10 memberships when I got the job, because I knew my friends and family would want to go, so that’s served me well,” he said.

“I don’t tend to have to worry about tickets week to week, but I couldn’t get some for the final, so if anyone’s out there, let me know, they’re hard to get!

“I don’t subscribe to one gets a better advantage than four if you’re both MCG tenants – last year Geelong didn’t get that luxury – but whether there’s something around that, I haven’t given it that much thought.”