> Watch Mick Malthouse address the media on Friday afternoonCOLLINGWOOD coach Mick Malthouse says that Scott Pendlebury is likely to play in Saturday night's preliminary final against Geelong, but that could change on the day of the match.
Pendlebury cracked his fibula less than two weeks ago against St Kilda, but trained well at Gosch's Paddock on Friday morning during a very light session, although it was clear he had strapping or padding under his leggings.
Malthouse said a big heart and medical science were responsible for the 21-year-old being in a position to be selected for the preliminary final.
"Right now he's playing; tomorrow we'll see," Malthouse said at the Lexus Centre after training.
"I think with an injury like that, it's just a simple fact of life that each day you have to see how the player comes up.
"He wouldn't be the first, nor the last player who's going to have a query (over his fitness)."
Malthouse went on to explain his finals selection policy for finals.
"The simple fact is that a player who can play at 80 per cent for 100 per cent of the time, in finals football, is better than a player who can play at 100 per cent for 80 per cent of the time.
"We don't want Scott playing at 80 per cent for 100 per cent of the time, we want him playing closer to 100 per cent, but he's got to be able to play 100 per cent of the time.
"Finals football is exactly what it should be – it's elite, it's high-pressured, it's the best sides coming together.
"It's warmer than August, July and June, and the heat's on mentally and physically through the game."
Malthouse rejected the assertion that Pendlebury looked proppy during the training session.
"Scott's a loping-type player anyway, and I think he's had that sort of lope for a long time."
Malthouse said Dane Swan, who had a buttock injury query during the week, was fine.
He also said that emergency Josh Fraser, like Pendlebury, never looked fluid at training, and suggested a couple of times that the ruckman was well in the mix to play.
Paul Medhurst hasn't kicked multiple goals since round 15, and has paid for his lack of form by being dropped and not even named as an emergency.
Like Anthony Rocca, he has been named to play in the VFL on Saturday afternoon, which Malthouse said gave him a chance to regain his AFL spot if the Magpies make it to the grand final.
"Paul knows his form has been very ordinary," Malthouse said.
"But as I said to him during the week, 'There's nothing wrong with the person'.
"But he's now out of form, out of confidence, and he's out of games."
