AFL star duo Jordan De Goey and Jack Ginnivan shrugged off their injury doubts to line up for Collingwood for their monstrous MCG clash with Carlton.
Magpies coach Craig McRae confirmed the pair are ready for the blockbuster, with De Goey overcoming a hip flexor disorder while Ginnivan is fine after hamstring and ankle pain.
This leaves the Pies with minimal excuses for Sunday afternoon’s match, where a win will ensure them a double chance while a defeat would give the Blues access to the final.
De Goey missed last weekend’s defeat to Sydney, but McRae said there was no longer the temptation to put him on the ice before the finals.
“We can only control what he does and his actions suggest that his maximum speed and agility were there and all the things you need to do to take the field,” he told reporters.
“Once you get out there are so many different things that can happen, but all you can control is to fix it and in that moment it is declared … ready to play.”
Ginnivan, who scored 33 goals in his second AFL season, missed the second half of Sydney’s defeat and is a huge inclusion after his side struggled to penetrate the Swans’ stubborn defense in his absence.
It was their first defeat since round eight and McRae said he learned a lot from that defeat.
“We have learned a lot, but we learn a lot when we win,” he said.
“We are trying to improve and so just because the scoreboard said we haven’t done the job doesn’t mean we won’t come here and improve.
“So a lot about our movement of the ball and how to play better on this field, the opponents are really strong in some defensive parts of the game, so there is a lot to learn.”
McRae said his team will be looking to clash with traditional rivals and try to give their fans a huge win, even before heading to a final campaign where they look set to make noise.
“We understand that it is not just a normal game, there is a lot behind it, a lot at stake for both teams, we are aware of that and we will accept it,” he said.
“We will embrace every moment, the competition, the rivalry.
“Results that we cannot control, but we will accept all this and we will make sure to give our best on Sunday”.