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Collingwood and Carlton meet at the MCG in a match that has the Blues’ season on the line. Join The Roar for live scores and commentary from 7:50pm (AEST).
The Collingwood machine continues to roll through 2023, with the premiership favourites on target for top spot and a premiership win that would have the Pies faithful in raptures. Even the quality of the Power was overcome last weekend in one of the best matches of the season, with Craig McRae once again pulling the strings in the coach’s box and finding the solutions in eking out a two-point win.
Carlton are charging toward the finals. Big winners against West Coast last time out and coming into this match with five wins on the trot, the Blues have rediscovered their early season form. The loss of Harry McKay appears to have brought Charlie Curnow to life, and the team is playing as well as it has since the early stages of 2023.
Team news sees the Pies in almost perfect health heading into the final stages of the home-and-away season. Brodie Mihocek and Darcy Cameron come back into the side as Billy Frampton and Ash Johnson are left out. It’s not so pretty for the Blues: with McKay already missing, Sam Walsh joins him on the sidelines with a hamstring problem and Jack Silvagni is also an injury omission.
Better news sees Patrick Cripps right to play, with Adam Cerra and Jack Martin called back into a squad that does require boosting.
Prediction
This simply looks a bridge too far for the Blues, with Collingwood the cream of the AFL crop and the injuries set to disturb what has been a decent run for Carlton.
It might be close early on, but the Pies will do enough and manage a 40-point win off the back of a dominant second half.
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Game Information
Venue: MCG First bounce: 7:50pm (AEST) TV: Channel 7, Fox Footy Streaming:Kayo Sports Betting: Magpies $1.38, Blues $3.10 – odds via PlayUp
Teams
Collingwood
B: J. Howe, D. Moore (c), I. Quaynor
HB: B. Maynard, N. Murphy, J. Crisp
C: S. Sidebottom, N. Daicos, O. Markov
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HF: P. Lipinski, B. Mihocek, J. De Goey
F: J. Elliott, D. McStay, T. Adams
R: D. Cameron, T. Mitchell, S. Pendlebury
I/C: J. Daicos, J. Noble, B. McCreery, M. Cox
EMG: B. Frampton, W. Hoskin-Elliott, J. Ginnivan, A. Johnson
IN: Markov (R19 sub).
OUT: Hill.
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Carlton
B: B. Kemp, J. Weitering, N. Newman
HB: S. Docherty, M. McGovern, A. Saad
C: B. Acres, P. Cripps (c), O. Hollands
HF: L. Fogarty, T. De Koning, D. Cuningham
F: J. Martin, C. Curnow, M. Owies
R: M. Pittonet, A. Cerra, G. Hewett
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I/C: J. Motlop, C. Marchbank, A. Cincotta, M. Cottrell
