Collingwood will head up to Queensland for the second time this season and to Southport for the first time ever for their Round Six VFL clash.
The Pies are searching for a win for the first time since their thrilling victory over Carlton in Round Three, having suffered narrow losses to Coburg and Essendon over the past fortnight.
They will be boosted by the return of key forward Nathan Krueger who has overcome both hamstring and calf injuries suffered in the early stages of the season, with the tall joining Reef McInnes in a strong forward half.
The Pies have played Southport just twice since the Sharks entered the restructured VFL competition in 2021 and have triumphed both times.
Last time they met
The Pies closed out their home and away season last year with a 50-point win over the Sharks at Olympic Park Oval.
On a cold August day, the home side burst out the blocks to lead by six goals at the main break and never looked back from there.
Fin Macrae continued what was a stunning 2023 season with 26 disposals and a goal, while Ed Allan had one of his best matches in his debut year with 23 touches and a goal of his own.
Reef McInnes kicked four of his 32 goals for the year that day, while Ash Johnson and Nathan Krueger both kicked two.
Team news
The return of key forward Krueger headlines the side’s inclusions for the Round Six clash, with there being a large change over from last week’s game against Essendon.
Oleg Markov and Lachie Sullivan were elevated to the senior team for their clash with Carlton on Friday night as part of seven changes.
Jedd Longmire, Jonathan Tomasiello, and Yu Yu Ashwin all come in for their first games of 2024, while Patrick Farrant, Harrison Kennedy and Cooper Macdonald have all been recalled.
The season so far
It has been somewhat of a rollercoaster for the Pies so far in 2024, with their ledger currently sitting at two wins and three losses.
A strong 28-point win over Sandringham in Round One was backed up by a valiantly two-point loss against the Lions in Brisbane the following week.
The Pies then played out another thriller against Carlton, this time being on the right end of the result with a one-point victory.
The past fortnight has yielded two losses however, with Josh Fraser’s side looking to get back on the winners’ list this Saturday.
Ned Long – who is averaging 24 disposals and a whopping nine tackles – has been one of the standouts across the first five games, while Joe Richards (11 goals) and exciting forward Jack Hutchinson (nine goals) have done the most damage in front of the big sticks.
The season has also seen the start of many new Pies’ careers, with Tew Jiath improving each week in his first year at the Club, while Harry DeMattia made his Club debut last week against the Bombers.
SSP selections Lachie Sullivan and Jack Bytel have also impressed, with the former earning himself a maiden senior call up after four games, while Bytel has been a strong leader and consistent performer through the midfield.
How can I watch?
The match will be streamed live on AFL.com.au and the official AFL Live app on Saturday from 12pm AEST.
Saturday 4 May
Southport v Collingwood
Fankhauser Reserve, Southport
12:05pm (AEST)
