Collingwood midfielder Steele Sidebottom will miss a number of weeks of the 2023 season due to a knee injury.
 
Scans revealed Sidebottom strained the medial collateral ligament (MCL) in his right knee during the early minutes of Collingwood’s Round 11 match against North Melbourne at Marvel Stadium last night. The occasion was the 32-year-old’s 300th appearance in the black and white.
 
“We are all disappointed for Steele, especially given the occasion it was, who at this stage will miss around six to eight weeks of football,” Collingwood GM of Football Graham Wright said.
 
“In true Steele style, he got around his teammates and continued to enjoy the moment albeit being on the side-line. 
 
“We expect and look forward to seeing Steele return to the senior side in the back half of the season.”
 
Sidebottom is only the fourth Collingwood player to reach a milestone 300 games, joining Gordon Coventry (306), Tony Shaw (313) and Scott Pendlebury (368).