Jarrod Wade, the Head of High Performance for Collingwood, has issued an Injury Update ahead of the upcoming Thursday night game against the Brisbane Lions at the GABBA.
Nathan Kreuger, the forward who had a hamstring injury during the pre-season, has been making steady progress in his recovery, hitting several significant rehabilitation milestones in recent weeks. If he continues to meet speed benchmarks, he should be ready to return to play around Round Five.
Oscar Steene, the young ruck, is still going through the 12-stage concussion protocol following a facial knock during a pre-season VFL practice match. Despite also suffering a facial fracture in the same incident, he has now been given the all-clear for that injury.
Harry DeMattia’s return has been narrowed down to Rounds Nine or Ten, a slight adjustment from the initial estimation of between Rounds Eight and Eleven. With his hand brace removed after a six-week follow-up with the surgeon, he can now focus on his rehabilitation, which includes ball handling exercises. Though initially predicted to be out for twelve weeks, if he can meet certain measures over the next two weeks and resume training thereafter, his total recovery time may be reduced to nine or ten weeks.
Josh Eyre, the tall player, has resumed running and is gradually increasing his intensity as he recuperates from a pre-season hamstring injury. After reaching 75% speed, he will concentrate on intensifying his running in the upcoming weeks, aiming for a comeback between Rounds Eight and Eleven.
Nathan Murphy continues his journey back to playing after a concussion, with a primary focus on rebuilding confidence. He has been able to participate in some team training sessions along with regular gym work and running sessions.
Dan McStay, the forward recovering from an ACL injury, has progressed from two running sessions per week to three. He is showing promising advancement in gymnastics and agility exercises, particularly in changing direction. His rehabilitation process is based on specific criteria, with each milestone leading to the next stage of recovery, without a predefined limit on his return to playing.