Collingwood Vs Brisbane: Two late-call changes frame Easter Thursday blockbuster
Collingwood Vs Brisbane opens with selection headlines after Collingwood named Lachie Sullivan and Will Hayes for their first games of the 2026 season, replacing injured skipper Darcy Moore and veteran Scott Pendlebury. The match also carries milestone and availability storylines as Beau McCreery lines up for his 100th AFL game and the Brisbane Lions make two late inclusions while confirming concussion and shoulder absences.
Background & context
Collingwood’s selection decision responds directly to injuries sustained in last Friday night’s win against the GIANTS, when Darcy Moore suffered a low-grade hamstring strain with scans showing an inflamed bursa behind his knee, and Scott Pendlebury experienced Achilles tightness. Moore is expected to be available in three to four weeks, while Pendlebury’s scans cleared him of damage and he is expected to be available for Round 5. With those absences, Lachie Sullivan and Will Hayes return to the senior side after strong VFL performances, each contributing a goal in the club’s recent VFL outing.
The Pies arrive in the clash buoyed by a 33-point victory in Round 3 over the GIANTS and by consecutive wins in the past two editions of the Easter Thursday fixture. Last year’s Easter Thursday meeting was dominated by a Nick Daicos standout performance, while the 2024 fixture was influenced by a four-goal effort from Jamie Elliott. That recent form and historical edge set fresh context for selection moves and leadership adjustments.
Collingwood Vs Brisbane: Team changes and key omissions
The Brisbane Lions named two changes ahead of the Easter Thursday fixture, bringing defender Darragh Joyce and midfielder James Tunstill into Chris Fagan’s matchday group as replacements for the injured Darcy Gardiner (shoulder) and Noah Answerth (concussion). The Lions confirmed that Gardiner will undergo shoulder surgery, and that co-captain Hugh McCluggage will not play with a lingering calf issue leaving doubt over his availability for the immediate future.
Brisbane’s matchday construction lists Tunstill alongside Lincoln McCarthy, Kai Lohmann, Zac Bailey and Logan Morris on the interchange, while Shadeau Brain, Zane Zakostelsky and Reece Torrent are named as emergencies. The Lions come off a six-goal victory over St Kilda as they seek back-to-back wins ahead of the clash. The first bounce is scheduled for 4: 30am ET.
On Collingwood’s side, the leadership structure adjusts in Moore’s absence: vice-captains Nick Daicos and Brayden Maynard will share the captaincy duties. Beau McCreery will celebrate his 100th AFL game in this match, a milestone that closes the loop on his debut against Brisbane in Round 3 of 2021 and underlines his role in Collingwood’s 2023 premiership campaign.
Analysis and expert perspectives
Collingwood Senior Coach Craig McRae has addressed the media ahead of his side’s Easter Thursday clash, framing the selection moves as a response to midweek fitness outcomes and VFL form. The elevation of Sullivan and Hayes reflects a common selection pathway: both players return for their first AFL games of the season after notable VFL contributions, with Sullivan set to play his 25th AFL match and Hayes to appear at the top level for the third time.
From the Brisbane perspective, the coaching group has adjusted to concussion and a shoulder operation, with the side naming Joyce and Tunstill as tactical responses to those absences. The confirmed unavailability of Hugh McCluggage as Brisbane co-captain reshapes midfield options and raises short-term selection questions for the Lions’ leadership and engine room rotations.
These personnel shifts create a layered tactical contest: Collingwood must absorb the loss of established veterans while integrating VFL in-form players into the AFL rhythm, and Brisbane must reconfigure around surgery and concussion placements while aiming to sustain momentum from their recent six-goal win.
How each side balances continuity and adaptation will shape match dynamics, with Collingwood’s recent victory over the GIANTS and Brisbane’s own rebound win giving both teams distinct selection and confidence stories to carry into the Gabba clash.
As preparation concludes and the two sides finalise matchday roles, Collingwood Vs Brisbane presents a compact narrative of injuries, milestones and selection faith—what will the immediate returns be for the players elevated and the teams that lost established names to the casualty ward?
