Craig McRae has confirmed Collingwood’s side to take on St Kilda in Thursday night’s Round Two ‘Spud’s Game’ at the MCG.

Forward Reef McInnes, utility Billy Frampton and midfielder Tom Mitchell will return to the side for the clash against the Saints.

The game will be the first time McInnes has played at AFL level since Round 11, 2023 while Frampton returns for the first time since last year’s Grand Final.

Mitchell comes back into the side for his 199^th career AFL game, after an ankle complaint saw him miss last week’s game against the Sydney Swans.

As a result of the consecutive short turnarounds of matches, Will Hoskin-Elliott will be managed and won’t play, while young defender Charlie Dean and forward Ash Johnson have been omitted.

The tactical substitution will be named 60 minutes prior to the first bounce and will be selected from the extended bench.

Hoskin-Elliott, John Noble and Harvey Harrison will be the side’s emergencies.

The clash marks Nick Daicos' 50th AFL game, 732 days since he made his debut against the same opponent in Round One of 2022. The 21-year-old joins over 350 other Collingwood players in reaching the milestone, joining his father Peter and elder brother Josh. 

McInnes is set to play his 12^th game at AFL level, after making his debut in Round One of 2022 against Geelong. The 21-year-old has kicked six goals and taken 19 marks at the level, while in the VFL he has played 24 games, booting 39 goals since being drafted in the 2020 National Draft.

In Round 17 of the 2023 VFL season, McInnes booted a career best six goals against Frankston to go with bags of four on two occasions in Rounds 22 and 23.

Frampton will play his 17^th game for Collingwood, after playing 16 last year in what was his first at the Club. The 201cm utility kicked seven goals, took 51 marks, had 133 hit-outs and 54 contested possessions in 2023, a season that saw him play in defence, forward and in the ruck.

The Round Two clash against the Saints marks ‘Spud’s Game’, a chance for the AFL community to come together to continue the legacy of Danny ‘Spud’ Frawley and raise crucial funds and awareness for the Danny Frawley Centre. You can buy tickets to the game here.

Collingwood go into the game looking for their first win of the season, following defeats to the GWS GIANTS and Sydney Swans in their first two games of the year.

Thursday, March 21
Collingwood V St Kilda
MCG, Wurundjeri
7:30pm (AEDT)