According to reports, Jeremy Howe, a veteran of Collingwood, will not play against GWS on Saturday in the Opening Round.
Due to worries about concussions, premiership defender Nathan Murphy has already been sidelined indefinitely for the Magpies, leaving senior coach Craig McRae to step in and cover for the athletic stopper.
Murphy’s absence compounds to Dan McStay’s knee injury, which will prevent the leading Magpie from playing until the very end of the season. As a result, the defending champions will have to rely on their reserves at both ends of the field to defeat the Giants in their preliminary final rematch.
The 7 News reporter Mitch Cleary has revealed that Howe will miss this weekend’s game due to a corked leg, adding to their selection problems.
Howe’s absence means that Charlie Dean, a third-year defender, may start for the Magpies in his first senior game.
Throughout his first two seasons as a black and white, Dean has had a terrible run of injuries. The 2021 Fothergill-Round-Mitchell Medal winner has only made three VFL games due to recurrent foot ailments.
In his first preseason as a Magpies player, the 22-year-old impressed. He also had a brief appearance last week in Collingwood’s Community Series victory over Richmond, registering 12 disposals and 8 marks in less than half the game.
Billy Frampton will probably be the Magpies’ choice to play alongside captain Darcy Moore on their last line, although Dean might get a call-up if McRae decides to go for another tall defender versus
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