Travis Varcoe immediately thought about the prospect of missing Sir Doug Nicholls Round when he felt his hamstring tighten against the Western Bulldogs on Friday night.

A Sunday afternoon clash with the Fremantle would have been Varcoe’s fifth Indigenous Round clash representing Collingwood. Instead, he will now watch from the sidelines.

“I probably won’t make it up for this week,” he told the media on Tuesday.

“It was the first thing that ran through my mind (missing Indigenous Round).

“You don’t want to miss any footy, but especially this one for all the Indigenous boys.”

Varcoe has struggled with hamstring concerns in the past, but compared this incident favourably to past injuries.

Still, a cautious approach to rehabilitation appears likely for the 30-year-old.

“I thought it was tight and that’s a good one for me. It’s not like in the past where I’ve thought ‘that’s a hammy gone’,” he explained.
 
“I’ve just got to take it a bit slow and see how it recovers this week.”

While Varcoe will watch on, Daniel Wells - the second of Collingwood’s three Indigenous players – is expected to return to senior action on Sunday.

Wells has played two games in 2018, but was rested for the Magpies’ 35-point win over the Bulldogs.

Described by coach Nathan Buckley recently as “more than the cream on top” of the starting 22, the 33-year-old appears ready to return.

“Give Daniel every chance to get himself right,” Varcoe said.

“I think he’ll be fine, but we’ll just leave that to him and the medical staff.”

Varcoe spoke to the media after a special event at the Holden Centre recognising the contributions of past and present Indigenous Magpies.

Players, coaches and staff visited a room decorated with traditional Marngrook footballs, our past Indigenous Round jumpers, and bush tucker from the regions of Wells, Varcoe and Kayle Kirby.

Olympian and Worimi and Yuin tribe man Kyle Vander Kuyp addressed the playing group, before highlights played of former Indigenous Magpies including Leon Davis, Andrew Krakouer, Sharrod Wellingham, among others.

The Football Club will continue to recognise its Indigenous history ahead of a clash with Fremantle at the MCG on Sunday.