Callum Brown has put his case for an AFL recall to Collingwood coach Nathan Buckley ahead of Saturday’s qualifying final with West Coast,
The son of club legend Gavin Brown was the Magpies best in their VFL elimination final loss to Essendon on Sunday.
Brown, 20, kicked three goals and saw plenty of the ball to put himself in the frame for a first final of his young career.
Tyson Goldsack continued his recovery from an ACL injury, playing limited minutes, but looked below AFL pace in Collingwood’s defence.
He was outshone by Adam Oxley, who has played the last three AFL matches.
Future star Aaron Francis was super for Essendon on half-back in the 34-point win, capped by Josh Green’s four-goal fourth quarter.
Buckley has perhaps the hardest injury puzzle to solve heading into the first week of the finals.
Jeremy Howe and Darcy Moore, who did not feature at North Port Oval, should be fit for the match, with Adam Treloar not far away.
Geelong’s elimination final on Friday will arrive too soon for first-season sensation Esava Ratugolea, all but been ruled out by coach Chris Scott.
Ratugolea battled in Geelong’s heavy VFL loss to Casey on Saturday, marking his return from a broken leg suffered in round 10.
The 20-year-old was off the pace at a blustery Casey Fields, leading Scott to label a recall to senior football “unlikely”.
“The likelihood is that Sav would need at least another game in the VFL which he will get this week on the back of the team losing,” Scott told the Sunday Footy Show.
“Everyone’s timing was out at Casey Fields with the wind yesterday. It was a hard day for big forwards and a tough day for our VFL team overall.”
Scott will need to make a call on big man Rhys Stanley, who subdued Max Gawn in their most recent meeting, but has played just once in a month as he battles a calf problem.
“We brought him back after missing a week for the Hawthorn game … and (he) didn’t get through the first quarter,” Scott said.
“Gawn is clearly a great player, so we are going to struggle enough with 22 players on the field. We can’t afford to lose one.”
The Demons had several players pushing on the door for the club’s first final in 12 years.
Jayden Hunt, Cam Pedersen, Mitch Hannan and Tom Bugg impressed, while Joel Smith returned from a collarbone injury.
Melbourne were also buoyed by the sight of captain Jack Viney at training on the weekend after two months out.
On Saturday night, Dan Butler kicked the first goal of the game in Richmond’s VFL loss to Williamstown as he proved his fitness from an ankle injury.
The premiership-winning forward is in the frame for Thursday night’s qualifying final with Hawthorn.
Hawthorn runner James Cousins and dropped defender Taylor Duryea also threw themselves into contention for that match after a three-vote performance in Box Hill’s elimination final win over Port Melbourne.