Collingwood has announced six inclusions to an extended 25-man squad ahead of the side’s crunch round 18 clash with Adelaide at the MCG on Sunday.

With both sides seated firmly in finals contention, the match looms as a proverbial eight-point affair, pivotal in determining the top eight prospects of either outfit.

The Magpies enter the clash following a downturn in form which has seen the side win just one of its last five matches, as injury and circumstance have conspired to thrust Nathan Buckley’s team into a finals dogfight.

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Though Nick Maxwell (retired), Luke Ball (back) and Dane Swan (foot) are all forced omissions, the return of a host of established names however will undoubtedly prove a boon for Collingwood, which will seek to avenge an earlier 21-point defeat to Adelaide at Adelaide Oval in round nine.

That result proved the catalyst for the Magpies mid-season lull, placing a dampener on an early season surge which saw the fledgling team emerge as top-four contenders.

While Travis Cloke has found himself isolated in recent weeks, forced to bear the bulk of Collingwood’s scoring responsibilities, the two-time All-Australian will enjoy a welcome reprieve against the Crows as Jamie Elliott, who is line to play his 50th match, and Ben Reid return to the fold.

Having missed Collingwood’s last two fixtures through a hamstring injury, Elliott will resume his role as an attacking foil to Cloke, with his lead-up ability and acute goal sense ensuring he’ll be in a position to add to his scoring tally for the season, which currently stands at 30 majors.

Reid meanwhile makes his comeback following a frustrating campaign largely spent on the sidelines, poised to play his first match of the season after demonstrating his fitness through the VFL.

Suffering a series of soft-tissue injuries, Reid has been unsighted with the AFL side since Collingwood’s pre-season encounter with the Gold Coast before round one, an absence which has proven increasingly telling as the campaign has unfolded due to his supreme versatility.

Though given his performances last year as a key forward, it is perhaps in attack where Reid would have, and perhaps will make his greatest contribution, particularly in light of his recent appearances at VFL level, where he has largely occupied a role inside the Magpies forward 50.

Nevertheless, whether offering support to Jack Frost and Lachlan Keeffe as a third tall in defence, or providing an additional scoring option to complement Cloke and Elliott in attack, Reid’s selection will be welcome boost as Collingwood approaches a six-match sprint towards the finals series.

The aforementioned Keeffe has been selected after the briefest of stints in the VFL, where he will no doubt attempt to nullify the scoring threat offered by one of Adelaide’s tall forward triumvirate of Josh Jenkins, James Podsiadly and Taylor Walker.

South Australian youngster Tim Broomhead and second year player Sam Dwyer will again bring their efficient ball use and poise to the AFL after he received a recall, while Kyle Martin’s interminable wait for an elevation to the senior list has finally ended after the man described as the VFL’s Dane Swan-equivalent was named for the first time in 2014.

Martin’s rapacious appetite for goals and uncanny ball-winning ability will offer a unique dimension to the Magpies side, after the reigning Joseph Wren Memorial Trophy winner for Collingwood’s VFL Best and Fairest continued to thrive in the second tier despite being subject to increased attention from opponents.

The 23-year old has amassed 38 and 39 possessions respectively over his last two VFL matches, while his season goal tally of 23 has him sitting fourth in the race for the Jim ‘Frosty’ Miller Medal.

With Maxwell retired, and two players – Nathan Brown and Ben Hudson – on the long term injury list, a vacancy for Martin opened.

Collingwood v Adelaide
Round 18
Sunday 27 July
MCG, 4.40pm

Collingwood
B: Marley Williams, Jack Frost, Alan Toovey
HB: Paul Seedsman, Lachlan Keeffe, Heritier Lumumba
C: Steele Sidebottom, Brent Macaffer, Tim Broomhead
HF: Kyle Martin, Jesse White, Ben Kennedy
F: Jamie Elliott, Travis Cloke, Ben Reid
Foll: Jarrod Witts, Dayne Beams, Scott Pendlebury
Int (from): Sam Dwyer, Tyson Goldsack, Jarryd Blair, Taylor Adams, Clinton Young, Josh Thomas, Tom Langdon

IN: Tim Broomhead, Sam Dwyer, Jamie Elliott, Lachlan Keeffe, Kyle Martin, Ben Reid
OUT: Nick Maxwell (retired), Luke Ball (back), Dane Swan (foot)

Adelaide
B: Luke Thompson, Daniel Talia, Luke Brown
HB: Matthew Jaensch, Andy Otten, Ricky Henderson
C: Brodie Smith, Scott Thompson, Rory Sloane
HF: Eddie Betts, James Podsiadly, Tom Lynch
F: Josh Jenkins, Taylor Walker, Brodie Martin
Foll: Sam Jacobs, Patrick Dangerfield, Brad Crouch
Int (from): Matthew Wright, David Mackay, Richard Douglas, Mitch Grigg, Rory Laird, Jarryd Lyons, Matt Crouch

IN: Matt Crouch, Mitch Grigg, Jarryd Lyons, David Mackay, Luke Thompson
OUT: Jason Porplyzia, Ben Rutten (omitted)