Geelong superstar Patrick Dangerfield would have been in demand at training this week as the Cats prepare for the return of Collingwood X-factor Jordan De Goey in Thursday night’s AFL clash in Perth.
De Goey was left out of last week’s win over Hawthorn after being charged by police over an alleged indecent assault in 2015.
Magpies coach Nathan Buckley has confirmed that De Goey is available for selection against the Cats, and the star forward is expected to be named.
Geelong defender Harry Taylor says it will take a team approach to stop a player of De Goey’s ilk and that Dangerfield was the perfect player to practise against.
“De Goey’s explosiveness and unpredictability makes him such an amazing player,” Taylor said.
“I’ve very rarely seen him lose his feet.
“Very much in that (Dustin) Martin, Jake Stringer sort of mould, just really strong and powerful.
“We’ve got Paddy Dangerfield playing for us, who is one of the best at that sort of stuff as well.
“So if you ever need some experience playing on a Jordan De Goey, you could line up against Paddy for a few contests and know they play a very similar way.”
De Goey’s indecent assault charge is just one of a number of dark clouds floating over Collingwood.
Vice-captain Steele Sidebottom is serving a four-match ban after he broke COVID-19 protocols during a boozy night last month.
And the Magpies have launched an investigation into allegations from Heritier Lumumba that he was racially abused during his 10 seasons at the club.
Collingwood were under pressure after recent losses to GWS and Essendon but they rebounded well last week with a 32-point win over Hawthorn.
The Magpies conceded only three goals against the Hawks and Taylor is expecting Collingwood to come out firing at Optus Stadium.
“Teams have an amazing ability these days to find a real resolve and energy in the face of crisis,” Taylor said.
“We’ve seen that in the past where teams probably play their best when their backs are against the wall.
“Collingwood have been fantastic at the moment, albeit with a few things going on.
“But we’ve certainly got our challenges as well and we need to find a mental edge, a real sharp edge, to compete well against them.”
The Cats will recall former Saint Jack Steven but Mitch Duncan (hamstring) appears set to miss out.
Quinton Narkle (hamstring) has already been ruled out.
Up to 30,000 fans can attend the match at Optus Stadium but it remains to be seen whether the forecast rain and storms will dissuade people from attending.