Collingwood veteran Scott Pendlebury has drawn excessive reward from new teammate Tom Mitchell.
Pendlebury, who at 35 years of age is likely one of the AFL’s oldest gamers, is exhibiting no indicators of slowing down after a starring function within the Magpies’ win over reigning premiers Geelong in Spherical 1.
WATCH THE VIDEO ABOVE: Collingwood coach challenges opposition to tag Nick Daicos.
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The ageless champion’s robust kind in his 18th season rivals basketball megastar LeBron James, who continues to dominate for the LA Lakers at 38 years of age.
“He really does not shock me, I’ve seen the work he places in over the break and it is no shock,” Mitchell stated of Pendlebury.
“He is just like the LeBron James of the AFL I suppose, he takes care of himself so properly.”
In the meantime, Collingwood coach Craig McRae performed down expectations on recruits Mitchell – who had 10 clearances in opposition to Geelong – and Bobby Hill, who booted a career-high three targets.
“With Tom, we’re actually clear we do not want him to get to 30 possessions which he is averaged for his entire profession – he simply will not get that with us. We’re a low-possession staff,” McRae stated.
“However we received him right here for a motive. He is a first-possession clearance participant and he is elite at that. On the weekend, everybody received to see what that was.
“Three targets (for Hill) is a big output for a small ahead. However we simply need his strain and his function play and his capacity to play in our system.”
McRae additionally dared Port Adelaide to tag wunderkind Nick Daicos and shut him out of their bumper AFL conflict.
Final yr’s Rising Star winner, 20-year-old Daicos picked up from the place he left off in spherical one, racking up 35 disposals off half-back within the Magpies’ victory over Geelong.
Energy tagger Willem Drew shapes as a match-up for Daicos if coach Ken Hinkley opts for a run-with participant on the MCG on Saturday – a name McRae stated he would make.
“Properly if I am the opposition, I might tag Nick,” McRae instructed reporters.
“He is a weapon and you have to take one thing away from the opposition. I might be seeking to tag him.”
Sidelined Jeremy Howe, who noticed a specialist on Wednesday after surgical procedure on his damaged arm, is but to return to the membership.
“He needed to come back in immediately and the docs stored him away. My understanding is he’ll be in early subsequent week,” McRae stated.
“He is an unimaginable chief across the place and we’ll miss him on and off the sector.”
Former Energy and Adelaide huge man Billy Frampton will debut as Howe’s alternative and appears poised to tackle Charlie Dixon.
“He is received that capacity to take an enormous goal away, or an enormous key ahead for the opposition, after which enable others to get to work,” McRae stated.
“I am excited to see what he can do.”
– With AAP
