Collingwood to regain stars Maynard, Sidebottom

Oliver Caffrey and Justin Chadwick | July 11, 2023

Rampant AFL ladder-leaders Collingwood will be boosted by the return of All-Australian duo Brayden Maynard and Steele Sidebottom for their clash with Fremantle.

The pair’s inclusion for Saturday’s game at the MCG pushes the Magpies closer to full-strength, with only forwards Brody Mihocek and Will Hoskin-Elliott from Collingwood’s strongest 22 still missing.

Maynard sat out last Friday night’s clash with the Western Bulldogs due to a shoulder issue.

But Collingwood have declared the defender fit to take on the Dockers after undergoing a fitness test.

Sidebottom has missed the last six weeks after hurting his knee during his 300th game against North Melbourne in late May.

But the 32-year-old has been part of full training for more than a week and has passed a number of tests.

Mihocek will sit out at least one more game with a hamstring injury and will return to full training next week in a bid to be ready to play in a top-two showdown against Port Adelaide in round 19. 

St Kilda have been dealt three further blows on top of Max King’s season-ending shoulder injury.

Jack Billings is set to miss at least two games after fracturing his thumb in last week’s 21-point loss to Melbourne, while Seb Ross has been ruled out for four-to-six weeks with a hamstring injury.

Zaine Cordy will miss Saturday’s clash with Gold Coast due to concussion. 

“Jack fractured his thumb on Saturday night, so has had surgery to address that this week,” St Kilda’s acting football manager David Misson said.

“Scans have confirmed a grade-two hamstring strain for Seb.”

Forward Tim Membrey, who has been sidelined since round nine with a knee injury, is still listed as being four to five weeks away.

In better news for St Kilda, Josh Battle (concussion), Jack Higgins (knee) and Bradley Hill (knee) could all return against the Suns.