Updated
Limping Collingwood forward Chris Dawes did nothing to suggest he will be ready for Friday night's preliminary final against Sydney at the Magpies' recovery session on Tuesday.
But coach Nathan Buckley insists the big man, hoping to overcome a knee medial ligament injury sustained on Saturday night, is still a strong chance to play against the Swans at the Olympic stadium.
Wednesday's main training session will be decisive for both Dawes, crucial to the club's structure as a back-up for ruckman Darren Jolly, and Alan Didak, battling a calf injury.
It takes on added importance as the club will not train on Thursday because they will be attending the funeral of former Collingwood and Port Adelaide player John McCarthy, before flying to Sydney.
While most Magpies players participated in light training drills at St Kilda beach on Tuesday, all Dawes and Didak did was go for a walk, then some stationary handballing, with Didak throwing in a few short kicks.
Dawes was obviously limping while he walked and wearing tracksuit pants to hide his knee strapping.
Buckley gave only short, abrupt answers when asked about Dawes' playing prospects.
Asked if it was fair to say Dawes was unlikely to play, he said simply: "No."
He said both players would need to prove themselves on Wednesday.
"We have a full session tomorrow and we'll see how they pull up," Buckley said.
He refused to say if they would need to get through the entire session at full pace.
McCarthy's funeral adds an element to what was already a lead-up made difficult for the Magpies by the fact they have only a six-day break compared to 13 for the Swans.
But Buckley said it would not compromise their preparation.
"I'm absolutely comfortable," he said.
"I've got no doubt that we will be cherry ripe to go when the game comes around on Friday night.
"We've got a very resilient group, we've got great leadership amongst this group.
"There's no excuses."
He said they were keen to honour a friend and former team-mate.
"The fact that he was at Port Adelaide for 12 months doesn't take away from the keenness of the feelings that the boys have," Buckley said.
"We'll pay respect to J-Mac, to his family, then we'll get about our business on Friday."
AAP
Topics: sport, australian-football-league, collingwood-3066
First posted
18 Sep, 2012
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Source: http://www.abc.net.au/news/2012-09-18/buckley-confident-dawes-will-play/4267638
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