Simon Chiarelli for www.collingwood.com.au
Collingwood’s pre-season preparations will see the team head north next month to spend a week on the Gold Coast before facing the Suns at Metricon Stadium on Sunday 2 March.
With the countdown to the NAB Challenge underway, Collingwood has moved to finalise its practice match schedule, and the Gold Coast clash looms as the side’s final challenge before kick starting the regular season against Fremantle on Friday 14 March.
Director of Football Rodney Eade said the Gold Coast camp will mark one of the final, pivotal junctures in Collingwood’s pre-season campaign as the club’s revamped and youthful list readies itself for round one.
“We had to organise a third NAB game or practice match to finalise our preparation for round one, and with round being split into two weeks, we wanted to play another team who was in the first week as well. Gold Coast was the perfect opportunity,” Eade said.
“We had slated a camp for us for Gold Coast or another location at the end of January, so we’ve just moved that and linked that in with our practice match so it all fits in very nicely.
“We’ll head up on the Tuesday night and have a full training week on the Gold Coast, take 28 to 30 players and staff and have the practice match on the Sunday.”
Upon arrival in Queensland, the playing group will be put through their paces, with a taxing week on the track under the northern sun planned before Collingwood face Gold Coast for the first time since enduring a surprise loss at Metricon Stadium last July.
