Collingwood will monitor Alex Fasolo closely in the lead-up to this week’s clash with the Crows after the goalkicker appeared to be hindered by a shoulder complaint in the latter stages of Saturday’s win over Greater Western Sydney.
Fasolo spent a large portion of the final term against the Giants on the bench as medical staff assessed his left shoulder. The 24-year-old had just returned to the senior side after five weeks on the sidelines nursing a fractured scapula.
Fasolo is one of Collingwood’s only injury concerns heading into Saturday night’s big match against the Crows at Adelaide Oval. Collingwood boasts one of the healthier lists in the AFL, however the Pies are still missing three crucial first-choice players in Dane Swan, Jamie Elliott and Tom Langdon.
Swan, who has been sidelined since suffering a serious leg injury in Collingwood’s Round One loss to Sydney, remains unlikely to return this season whilst Elliott, who is yet to play a game this year, continues to recovery from an ongoing back issue and is also not expected back in 2016.
Langdon remains an outside chance to return this season despite not playing since Round Six due to an ongoing knee issue.
Collingwood will head to Adelaide Oval brimming with confidence after its 32-point victory over the Giants last round – the club’s third win in as many weeks.
While still a mathematical chance of finals, coach Nathan Buckley said the Pies’ 7-8 record was “probably two wins shy of being in contention.”
“We’ve set a clear focus for ourselves, we’ve in many ways exposed the football that we’re capable of,” Buckley said.
“Our players are improving and performing of recent times and we just want to enjoy getting reward for the work put in.”
One of those Pies on the improve is Travis Cloke, who was amongst Collingwood’s best in the win over the Giants, kicking four goals and plucking 12 marks.
After being dropped to the VFL from an extended period earlier in the year, Buckley said Cloke is now benefiting from the hard work he had put in to recapture his spot in the side.
"As big as it was blown up externally, all it is, is [that] we think we can do better at senior level now and you need to do a bit more work, so he has approached that really well," Buckley said.
"I don't think that this game is going to be the pinnacle of that. He is still going to reap the rewards of the work that he is doing at the moment.”
