Daicos boost for Pies as 119-game streak ends

Daicos, who was at one stage an odds-on Brownlow favourite before he injured his knee in the round 21 loss to Hawthorn, was staring at a recovery period of up to six weeks.

He has missed the past two games and wasn’t expected back until preliminary final weekend, if the ladder-leading Magpies made it that far.

But in positive news, the 20-year-old has progressed better than expected and while there is no timeline locked in for his return, it could be sooner than expected.

“Nick Daicos is off crutches ahead of schedule in his knee injury rehab,” Magpies high performance boss Jarrod Wade said on Tuesday.

“The young midfielder has started bike, gym, and pool-based exercises and is expected to start running in the next fortnight.

“A further update on his return-to-play timeline will be communicated in the coming weeks.

In more good news for the Magpies, who have lost three of their past four games, Collingwood will regain star midfielder Jordan De Goey (glute) and small forward Bobby Hill (hamstring) for Friday night’s clash with Essendon.

De Goey trained over the weekend and returned to full-speed training, while Hill will be available for selection should he get through training this week after scans showed no damage to his hamstring after missing last week’s loss to Brisbane.

Collingwood captain Darcy Moore is also making “strong progress” after hurting his hamstring in the round-22 win over Geelong and should be ready for the first week of the finals after the pre-finals bye weekend.

“(Moore) is back to around 80-85 per cent running speed and could participate in match simulation in the bye week before finals,” Wade said.

“Moore is on track to be available for selection for the first week of finals.”

While the news was good at Collingwood it was less so at the Western Bulldogs with the 119-match playing streak of midfielder Jack Macrae set to end after he was diagnosed with delayed concussion in a blow to their finals hopes.

Macrae played out last Sunday’s shock loss to West Coast Jack Macrae but was put in concussion protocols following the game and will miss his team’s must-win clash against Geelong.

The Bulldogs have to win and hope Carlton defeat GWS to make the finals, or Macrae’s season is over.

“Soon after the completion of the game, Jackson developed some low-level symptoms that he reported to our Club Doctor,” Bulldogs’ head of sports medicine, Chris Bell said.

“Jack subsequently failed a concussion test and was immediately placed in protocols.”

“Jack will be assessed during this week before a return to play plan is developed.”

But Tom Liberatore will return after missing last week, also through concussion for the clash at Geelong where the Bulldogs have not won since 2003.

Originally published as Collingwood star Nick Daicos ahead of schedule, Bulldogs Jack Macrae has concussion