Collingwood recalls Mason Cox, Jamie Elliott, Jack Ginnivan and Scott Pendlebury for tough Fremantle clash

Collingwood’s reinforcements are on the way as Craig McRae’s Magpies prepare to head west to take on the high-flying Dockers.

Mason Cox will return for Collingwood’s clash with Fremantle at Perth Stadium on Sunday. Picture: Getty Images

American Pie Mason Cox will return to Collingwood’s senior side as a full-time ruckman against Fremantle on Sunday as he resumes his bid to save his AFL career.

The polarising 211cm big man kept his spot on the Magpies’ list when Max Lynch requested a trade last year to Hawthorn but Aiden Begg was preferred to him in Brodie Grundy’s absence the past three weeks.

Cox averaged 19 disposals, 13 contested possessions, six marks and 29 hit-outs at VFL level in that period to force Craig McRae’s hand as they prepare to face Dockers star Sean Darcy.

“Mason’s going to play. Aiden Begg has given us three games of great learning for him and he’s going to be much better for those experiences he’s gained,” McRae said.

“Mason has been a player at VFL level who is going, ‘Why aren’t you picking me?’. We love playing players who play above the level and he’s done that for the last three weeks.

Collingwood captain Scott Pendlebury is one of a handful of inclusions. Picture: Getty Images

“He’ll get an opportunity and Darcy is a great ruckman for Fremantle, so it’s a good challenge for him to come back in. He’ll play mainly ruck but we’re looking forward to him putting his best foot forward.”

McRae stopped short of guaranteeing Cox would get an extended run in the team, saying he would have to justify his spot, just like Begg.

Jack Ginnivan (illness), Jamie Elliott (shoulder) and captain Scott Pendlebury (illness) – after being a late withdrawal from last week’s 48-point defeat to the Western Bulldogs – are also among Collingwood additions.

Jack Crisp and Steele Sidebottom are also set to make the trip west despite battling the flu this week.

Elliott ended up missing only five matches after the original fear was he could be out for three months following surgery to repair his AC joint.

Jamie Elliott is back for his first game since injuring his AC joint in round 4. Picture: Getty Images

“Jamie’s a player we’ve missed enormously,” McRae said.

“He’s just a super talent for us, so we’re excited to have him back ... there was an element of the operation, it is what it is, then it’s about going about the business to get some flexibility back into it.

“So, once all those boxes were ticked; it was just a matter of being fit enough to cope with that.”

The Pies slumped to 11th after losses to the Tigers and Bulldogs in the past fortnight, but McRae said they were up for the challenge of taking on third-placed Fremantle in Perth.

“We’re not daunted by any game we play,” he said.

“We come in with great optimism and I feel like we’ve trained really well this week. We know our best is really competitive against many opposition we’ve played (but) every week presents something different.”

Originally published as Collingwood recalls Mason Cox, Jamie Elliott, Jack Ginnivan and Scott Pendlebury for tough Fremantle clash