COLLINGWOOD defenders Darcy Moore and Jeremy Howe are set to be available for the first time in 2026 this Friday night against Greater Western Sydney, but before then, the Magpies will train at Marvel Stadium for the first time since Craig McRae joined the club.  

The AFL will make the Docklands venue more accessible for training sessions to not just the five tenant clubs – Essendon, Carlton, North Melbourne, St Kilda and the Western Bulldogs – but all teams that play at Marvel Stadium this year. 

Collingwood is the first club to be granted access to train on Marvel Stadium in 2026. The Magpies will train behind closed doors on Thursday, but the AFL will look to open these sessions to fans across the season with the club's blessing. 

The Giants complete their captain's run at home before travelling from the club to the airport for interstate games. Other interstate clubs have trained at Marvel Stadium in the past and will be presented with more opportunities this winter. 

After a busy off-season of concerts and Big Bash cricket during the pre-season, Marvel Stadium is set to be used less during the week this season with the umpiring department training at other venues more regularly. 

Moore was on track to return from a calf strain against Adelaide in round one before experiencing hamstring awareness in the final training session before that game. 

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The 30-year-old initially suffered the injury in January and has taken longer than first expected to fully recover, but will now face the Giants if he ticks off training on Wednesday. 

Howe has also benefited from the timing of the club's early-season bye and appears ready to return after also straining his calf in January. 

He trained fully on Monday to prove his fitness ahead of round three and will be cleared to return if he completes Wednesday's main session. 

Jeremy Howe during a Collingwood training session at Olympic Park Oval on March 23, 2026. Picture: AFL Photos

Norm Smith medallist Bobby Hill trained for the first time in 2026 after being granted a leave of absence to deal with personal issues. 

Hill returned to the club last Thursday for team meetings and to see teammates and coaches again after stepping away from the program in December. 

Collingwood GM Charlie Gardiner stressed on Monday that Hill was ready to get back to work, but the club won't put a timeline on a return with an early focus around putting a full week together then looking towards the next milestone. 

Bobby Hill in action during Collingwood's training session at Olympic Park Oval on March 23, 2026. Picture: AFL Photos

Hill trained with a personal trainer away from the club for a few weeks to build his base and will now gradually increase his training loads, working closely with the rehab coaches and development staff at the KGM Centre. 

The 26-year-old is expected to need at least a couple of months of training to put his name back in selection contention, but Monday was a significant step forward for the West Australian after fears earlier in the year that he wouldn't return to the club this season.

Collingwood has never played Greater Western Sydney at Marvel Stadium and is aiming for a crowd close to 40,000 people on Friday night. 

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The Magpies have played three finals against the Giants at the MCG in front of two crowds in the 70,000s and 97,665 in the one-point preliminary final win. 

The largest home and away crowd between the two sides in Melbourne is 43,390 in 2015. 

Collingwood will play one more home game at Marvel Stadium in round 18 against North Melbourne, after an away fixture against the Western Bulldogs in round 12. 

The Magpies are offering $27 tickets on levels one and three on Friday night, plus $8 pints and $3 meat pies to draw fans to a home game away from their home ground.