Callum Sinclair will do battle with one of the most in-form ruckmen in the competition as the Sydney Swans face Collingwood at the SCG on Saturday night.
Brodie Grundy is running third in the AFL in total hit-outs, leading all ruckmen in possessions and topping all big men in tackles, pointing to his outstanding work at stoppages.
The 24-year-old met star Melbourne ruckman Max Gawn in a ruck duel touted as a play-off for All-Australian honours in the Queen’s Birthday clash, with Gawn eclipsing Grundy in disposals but the towering Magpie getting the edge in hit-outs.
Grundy’s combination with his star midfield battalion has been key to Collingwood’s surging rise up the ladder in 2018, with the big man often giving Scott Pendlebury, Steele Sidebottom and Taylor Adams first use of the Sherrin.
In Collingwood’s match with Richmond at the MCG last Saturday, Grundy topped Toby Nankervis in the hit-out count (48-24), while Sidebottom (38 touches), Pendlebury (37), Tom Phillips (33) and Adams (30) all found plenty of the football.
Collingwood forwards Mason Cox, Will Hoskin-Elliott and Josh Thomas shape as the biggest dangers to Sydney’s defence, while the Magpies’ back six is full of youth.
In two changes to Collingwood’s line-up for the Round 20 contest against Sydney, defender Jack Madgen (debut) and midfielder Brayden Sier will replace Matt Scharenberg (ACL) and Jeremy Howe (concussion).
The star Magpies duo will join dangerous quartet Jordan De Goey, Adam Treloar, Tyson Goldsack and Jamie Elliott in the stands as Collingwood looks to bolster its top-four position.
The Magpies sit in third on the ladder and one win ahead of the ninth-placed Swans.
Although they fell to the Tigers in a 28-point defeat in their most outing, they have won eight of their past 10 matches and claimed victories over potential finals contenders Melbourne, Essendon and North Melbourne on the way.
They trailed by just four points at three-quarter time in the Tigers clash before Richmond broke free from the shackles, slamming home five last-quarter goals to Collingwood’s one to collect the four competition points.
Collingwood recorded a one-point win when the Swans and Magpies last met at the SCG in Round 3, 2017.
