Collingwood recruit Paul Medhurst will be right in the mix to make his debut for the Magpies in round one, according to Williamstown coach Brad Gotch.

Medhurst, who played 99 games and booted 166 goals in five season with Fremantle, came to Collingwood during the 2006 trade period as part of the deal that sent Chris Tarrant west and was enjoying a promising pre-season before injuring his foot against St Kilda on March 2.

After spending three weeks recuperating, Medhurst made his return to football for Williamstown on Sunday against Sandringham at Trevor Barker Oval.

Despite media reports suggesting he’d re-injured his foot in the third term, he was icing it while sitting out the last quarter simply as a precaution, and subject to getting through training this week, is a chance to play his first game in the black and white stripes this Saturday afternoon against the Kangaroos.

“I'd be thinking he'd be right in the mix, subject to Mick and the medicos deciding whether they can get enough out of him to be of value”, said Gotch.

“I think a guy of that experience and calibre certainly gives our forward line another dynamic, he's another avenue to goal.

“He's probably a little bit underdone I suppose, as far as playing 100 per cent game time, but I was really happy with the way, you know how he's got that trademark of coming out, and pushing of a bloke, and winning that loose ball, or getting a pass that drops just in front of him, he gets it one grab, then feeds it off to someone or gets around a few blokes and chips it back in board.”

Gotch was also pleased with the team things Medhurst carried out, and while he didn’t get a huge amount of the ball, he managed to do a lot of the pressure things required at the elite level.

“He did all the right things, and he had one long shot for a behind, but I reckon he passed off two or three, he was just outside 50, and I reckon he could've nearly knocked them over.

“He was just unselfish passing it off to someone 30 metres out from goal, so I was really pleased with that, he was very unselfish, he chased hard.”