Pies hit with forward injury crisis
Crucial Collingwood forward Brody Mihocek has suffered a hamstring strain and will miss at least a fortnight as the Magpies are forced into a major revamp of their forward line.
Three members of the Pies’ attack will be missing against West Coast on Sunday with Mihocek, Beau McCreery (concussion) and Lachie Schultz (suspended) all ruled out following the thrilling win over Carlton.
Magpies coach Craig McRae revealed on Monday that Mihocek had suffered the hamstring injury in the third quarter of the Friday night clash, but did not come from the ground and only informed medical staff after the game.
“(Mihocek) has done a hamstring, he’ll miss probably two to three weeks. Apparently he did it in the third quarter and he didn’t come off … he’s a crazy dude,” McRae told SEN.
“We found out straight after the game, I had no understanding that he had actually done it.
“He’s going to be a big loss, and we’ll have to work our way through that, so some other guys will get some opportunities.”
Mihocek, who has booted 14 goals in eight games, shoulders a heavy workload in games and will be tricky for Collingwood to replace with no like-for-like option available.
Ash Johnson and Reef McInnes have both had some senior success playing as deeper forwards, while Nathan Kreuger is only one VFL game back from a horror run of injuries and had just five disposals and a goal while on managed minutes on Saturday.
It comes as premiership midfielder Tom Mitchell was hospitalised this weekend with appendicitis and ruled out of the Eagles clash after a foot problem kept him out of the win over the Blues.
“He’s been in hospital all weekend with appendicitis, it’s come on pretty strongly,” McRae said.
“They thought about operating but I think they’re erring on the side that they can get through with antibiotics and the like, so he’s still in hospital, and he definitely won’t play.”
Jordan De Goey, who also missed the Blues clash with tightness in both groins, will be assessed later in the week.
McRae said the Magpies would accept Schultz’s one-week ban for striking Carlton’s Blake Acres in the back of the head during the final quarter on Friday night.
He said he had spoken to the Pies’ new recruit on Monday and had been disappointed by his action, which gave away a free kick when the match was on a knife edge.
“I’m not going to condone that behaviour … I had a good chat to Lachie today about it, he’s really remorseful, he’s a great young kid,” McRae said.
“We’ll accept the one-week (suspension). Critical moments in the game, frustrations are one thing, but to take it out on the opposition like that, (give away) a free kick and potentially more, it’s not what he want … he’s going to learn a lesson, isn’t he.”
