Will history repeat on Sunday afternoon?

Twelve months on since his debut against West Coast, Rupert Wills is in line to play his first match of 2017 against the same opponent.

Wills has been named in the centre after several weeks of fine form in the VFL.

He joins Mason Cox, Levi Greenwood and Tom Phillips as the four additions to Sunday’s 25-man squad.

Captain Scott Pendlebury (broken finger) is the only confirmed absentee.

Where there’s a Wills
The 24-year-old onballer has enjoyed a purple patch at VFL level in recent weeks.

Described by Nathan Buckley as a “contested ball beast”, Wills is averaging 26.1 disposals (12.1 contested), 6.1 clearances and 8.1 tackles in seven VFL games this year.

Since returning from a calf complaint, Wills has been particularly strong, collecting 24 disposals and laying 11 tackles in the loss to Williamstown on Saturday.

He has not played senior football since the last round of the 2016 season, owing to a series of niggling calf complaints, but managed to serve notice by laying 43 tackles in his five games.

Pendlebury’s streak comes to an end
It’s a long time since Scott Pendlebury missed a senior game.

In fact, by Sunday, it will have been 1072 days since a Collingwood team played a home and away game without its captain.

To take it further, he has missed only 12 games since the beginning of the 2007 season.

Collingwood v West Coast
Round 18 2017
Sunday 23 July
Etihad Stadium, 3.20pm

Collingwood
B: Jeremy Howe, Lynden Dunn, Tom Langdon
HB: Jack Crisp, Tyson Goldsack, Brayden Maynard
C: Steele Sidebottom, Rupert Wills, Will Hoskin-Elliott
HF: Josh Thomas, Ben Reid, Travis Varcoe
F: Jamie Elliott, Darcy Moore, Alex Fasolo
Foll: Brodie Grundy, Daniel Wells, Adam Treloar
Int (from): Jordan De Goey, Jarryd Blair, Matthew Scharenberg, Taylor Adams, Levi Greenwood, Tom Phillips, Mason Cox

IN: Mason Cox, Levi Greenwood, Tom Phillips, Rupert Wills
OUT: Scott Pendlebury (broken finger)