Saturday fifth AFL Round 3 match is between Collingwood Magpies and Geelong Cats with the game to be played at MCG. The opening bounce is set to commence at 7.40pm with away team Geelong Cats currently holding favouritism. View our AFL live scores, odds and results for the game between Collingwood Magpies and Geelong Cats.

Round: Round 3, Saturday April 5, 7.40pm
Stadium: MCG
Weather: 22° Shower or two clearing.

Odds Comparison:

Collingwood Magpies	2.40	2.30	2.50	2.30	2.40	2.35
Geelong Cats	1.60	1.63	1.55	1.63	1.60	1.60

All odds are subject to change. Odds listed are correct at the time of the latest update.

 Preview:

This exciting match-up kicks off on Saturday, 7.40PM at the MCG.  While the Cats will go into this match as slight favourites, this one could really go either way.  The Magpies came from behind to beat the Swans last round, and might have the momentum to put on over on Geelong.  Saying that, however, the Cats are 2 for 0 so far in 2014 and will be hungry for more against a Collingwood side missing some key players.

Collingwood defender Nathan Brown is ruled out with a shoulder injury for this game, with Ben Reid’s calf injury also weakening the Magpies defence.  Collingwood have won their last three matches against Geelong, with the Cats’ last victory in the 2011 Grand Final.  The Cats will be keen to reverse that record this weekend, especially in their first Melbourne game of the 2014 season.

Teams:

Collingwood Magpies:
B Heritier Lumumba, Jack Frost, Nick Maxwell
HB Alan Toovey, Lachlan Keeffe, Tom Langdon
C Alex Fasolo, Dane Swan, Clinton Young
HF Scott Pendlebury, Jesse White, Brent Macaffer
F Jamie Elliott, Travis Cloke, Sam Dwyer
FOLL Brodie Grundy, Luke Ball, Dayne Beams
I/C Taylor Adams, Steele Sidebottom, Tyson Goldsack, Jarryd Blair
EMG Martin Clarke, Ben Kennedy, Jarrod Witts

IN Alex Fasolo, Lachlan Keefe
OUT Nathan Brown (shoulder), Ben Sinclair (hamstring)

Geelong Cats:
B Jared Rivers, Harry Taylor, Cameron Guthrie
HB Andrew Mackie, Tom Lonergan, Corey Enright
C James Kelly, Josh Caddy, Mitch Duncan
HF Mathew Stokes, Mitch Brown, Lincoln McCarthy
F Travis Varcoe, Tom Hawkins, Steve Johnson
FOLL Hamish McIntosh, Jimmy Bartel, Joel Selwood
I/C George Burbury, Jordan Murdoch, Mark Blicavs, George Horlin-Smith
EMG Jackson Sheringham, Jed Bews, Dawson Simpson

IN George Burbury, Jared Rivers
OUT Taylor Hunt (Suspension), Dawson Simpson (Omitted)

News:

Geelong’s ruck dominance could give the Cats the edge in Saturday night’s clash with Collingwood, potentially without Corey Enright.

The Cats faced a crisis of talls prior to the season when Nathan Vardy went down with a year-ending knee injury.

But the emergence of Hamish McIntosh – without a senior game in almost two years – and Dawson Simpson has Cats boss Chris Scott purring.

“After two rounds playing together, it looks like an option that can work for us longer term,” he said.

“It allows us to have options in our game style which we didn’t really have last year.”

McIntosh and Simpson out-rucked Matthew Leuenbrger and former Cat Trent West in their round two win at the Gabba, winning the hitouts 55-38.

Scott said the pair wouldn’t be certain starters in every game but it looks certain he will name them both against the Magpies, who have young ruckman Brodie Grundy in ruck, with support from Jesse White.

“To get something, we’ve got to give something. We have felt on balance we’ve got more from the two of them than what we’ve had to give,” he said.

“It’s a nice problem to have.”

A more troubling prospect will be the fitness of Corey Enright, who was taken out of the game after twisting his ankle in a tackle with Jordan Lisle.

Scott reported the triple premiership player was “a little bit sore” and but scans cleared him of serious damage and Enright would be given right up until naming a final team to prove his fitness.

“It did look quite serious, it almost looked like that sort of incident had the potential to break his leg, but there’s nothing serious like that – thank God,” he said.

“Given he couldn’t come back on the field there’s obviously some doubt there … if he’s close, we have an obligation to name him.

“We can’t be making a decision on Thursday morning.”

Geelong could also name young midfielder George Burbury, who broke his jaw in the pre-season but has completed a rapid recovery and played in the VFL last weekend.