COLLINGWOOD is likely to regain the services of in-form defender Jeremy Howe for the club's crucial Queen's Birthday clash with Melbourne, but versatile forward Ben Reid remains in doubt.
Howe has played a pivotal role in Collingwood's rise up the ladder this season, with the Magpies heading into Monday's traditional fixture against the Demons having won seven of their past nine games.
However, he missed Sunday's victory over Fremantle with bone bruising in his knee, while Reid has been sidelined for four of the club's last five matches with a lower leg injury.
"(Howe) is likely, 'Reidy' is more touch and go," Pies coach Nathan Buckley said on Tuesday.
"We've still got a long week. We have to put a squad in on Thursday night … which is closer to our last game than our next game.
"We'll have a 26 in, but it won't necessarily be an indication of where it finishes. We'll work that out over the week. We've got a few training sessions to get through."
Reid's impending return, in addition to Darcy Moore's comeback from a hamstring injury, is likely to give Buckley a few welcome headaches at the selection table as the club targets its first finals appearance since 2013.
Mature-aged recruit Brody Mihocek made his AFL debut at age 25 on Sunday, kicking four goals and providing plenty of energy and effort in an impressive performance.
He joined Mason Cox in the side's two-pronged tall forward line, with Buckley keen to persist with the improving American through the back half of the season.
However, with Reid and Moore set to return imminently, Buckley conceded it was unlikely all four could feature in the one side.
"We'll play a two-tall forward line more often than not, with one of those talls being a second ruckman. That's our preferred structure, but you never say never," he said.
"One of the things we will keep is an open mind to keep finding what our best is. We'll keep exploring different avenues to find that.
"Brody is quite a mobile type, so if Reid and Mason are both fit and playing well, and Brody is playing well, there may be some capacity there. But the likelihood is that it would be two of those three.
"When Darcy is fit, based on form and fitness, we'll have some challenges in match committee through the back half of the year. But hopefully we have those questions to answer and we have all of our players in good form, fighting for positions."
Promisingly, Collingwood is finding scores from a host of different avenues this season.
Will Hoskin-Elliott is the only Pie to find himself in the top 10 in the Coleman Medal count with 23 goals, having booted six majors in Sunday's victory over the Dockers.
But with Josh Thomas, Jordan De Goey and Cox also frequently hitting the scoreboard and with Reid and Moore set to return soon, Collingwood is quickly becoming one of the AFL's most potent teams.
An entertaining and high-scoring affair with Melbourne could therefore play out on Monday, with the Demons the best offensive side in the competition.
"We've got plenty of blokes that can hit the scoreboard … we've spread our scoring fairly wide," Buckley said.
"It's come from talls, it's come from mediums, it's come from smalls. We've seen some scoring from our back half and we're getting some good scores from front-half turnovers and stoppages.
"It makes it a little bit harder for us to be scouted. We can come from different sources in regards to our scoring. That's something we've always worked towards and something we've always wanted to achieve. It's starting to come together for us."
