Ben Reid will finally play his 100^th senior game, with the All-Australian defender named at full forward in the Collingwood team which will take on Carlton at the MCG on Saturday.

In a raft of exciting selection news, Reid will be joined in the side by debutant Jonathon Marsh, speedy back pocket Ben Sinclair and senior Magpie Jarryd Blair.

Sam Dwyer, Jarrod Witts and Paul Seedsman have all been omitted, while Jordan De Goey will be rested after 11 consecutive games with the Magpies in his debut season.

Reid’s run of bad luck in the past 12 months would arguably rival any other hard-luck story in football.

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The 25-year-old has suffered hamstring, calf and quad injuries since the beginning of 2014 and was required to fly to Germany in January to address a nightmare soft tissue concerns.

An interrupted 2015 has seen Reid spend time at both ends of the ground in the VFL, with his most recent stint including two consecutive games as a tall forward.

Despite being known primarily as a key defender, the Magpies have turned to Reid’s forward prowess in the past.

He kicked 25 goals in 13 games in the back half of 2013, including a five-goal performance against North Melbourne in round 23 and bags of four against Carlton and West Coast in rounds 15 and 22. 

After two impressive games in the VFL, his reinvigoration appears complete with a position in the forward line at the MCG beckoning.

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At the other end of the ground, 19-year-old Jonathon Marsh will debut for the Magpies.

A Derek Hine steal in the 2013 National Draft, Marsh was recruited from East Fremantle with pick No. 77.

Despite spending his junior years as a half forward, he has more recently been groomed as a defender with strong overhead marking skills and a clever ability to read the play in the backline.

Marsh will start on the interchange bench alongside Ben Sinclair, who returns to the side after missing an extended period of 2015.

Sinclair’s early season momentum was halted in round two when he felt for his hamstring in the first quarter against Adelaide at Etihad Stadium.

The recovery process has included five games at VFL level, where he averaged 15 disposals per game playing off half back.

After kicking their lowest score of the year against Melbourne last weekend, a focus of the four changes at the selection table appears to be adding bite to the forward line.

Goalsneak Jarryd Blair returns to the half forward flank he has so regularly populated on the MCG after an impressive game in the VFL.

The 25-year-old had 30 disposals against Williamstown, including 12 clearances, six inside 50s, nine tackles and a goal.

Of those omitted, Dwyer and Witts remain emergencies, while Tyson Goldsack will also be on standby after withdrawing from last week’s clash with Melbourne due to quad tightness.

Collingwood v Carlton
Round 19, 2015
Saturday 8 August
MCG, 1:45pm

Collingwood
B: Marley Williams, Nathan Brown, Tom Langdon
HB: Brayden Maynard, Jack Frost, Alan Toovey
C: Steele Sidebottom, Dane Swan, Levi Greenwood
HF: Jarryd Blair, Darcy Moore, Travis Varcoe
F: Jamie Elliott, Ben Reid, Alex Fasolo
Foll: Brodie Grundy, Taylor Adams, Scott Pendlebury
Int: Matthew Scharenberg, Jonathon Marsh, Jack Crisp, Ben Sinclair
Emg: Sam Dwyer, Tyson Goldsack, Jarrod Witts

IN: Jarryd Blair, Jonathon Marsh, Ben Reid, Ben Sinclair
OUT: Jordan De Goey (rested), Sam Dwyer, Paul Seedsman, Jarrod Witts (omitted)

Carlton
B: Simon White, Michael Jamison, Sam Rowe
HB: Dylan Buckley, Zach Tuohy, Kade Simpson
C: Sam Docherty, Andrew Carrazzo, Ed Curnow
HF: Blaine Boekhorst, Levi Casboult, Tom Bell
F: Andrejs Everitt, Lachie Henderson, Andrew Walker
Foll: Matthew Kreuzer, Patrick Cripps, Marc Murphy
Int: Nick Holman, Clem Smith, Mark Whiley, Cameron Wood
Emg: Kristian Jaksch, Tom Fields, Brad Walsh

IN: Nick Holman, Andrew Walker, Mark Whiley
OUT: Troy Menzel, Jason Tutt, Chris Yarran (omitted)

Fast Fact
Jonathon Marsh will become the 1127th player to debut for Collingwood on Saturday. The 1027th player to debut was Richard Cole, back in the opening round of the 2002 season.


AFL Multicultural Festival
Date: Saturday 8 August 2015
Time: 11:30am – 5:30pm
Venue: Yarra Park, MCG (outside Gate 3)
Curtain Raiser: Collingwood v Northern Blues, VFL, 10.20am
Senior Match: Collingwood v Carlton, AFL, 1.45pm

Collingwood joins the AFL community this week in celebrating Multicultural Round, embracing the stories and cultures that comprise the rich tapestry of Australia’s game.

The weekend’s focus will be on the MCG, where Collingwood and Carlton will join forces to stage the Multicultural Festival in Yarra Park.

Commencing at 11.30am, the Festival will give fans the opportunity to explore many wonderful cultures with traditional dance performances from around the world, a great selection of delicious multicultural food or a chance for kids to practice their goal kicking at the AFL playground.

There will also be a range of live entertainment, including Pop Asia, Hip Hop dancer, African drummers, Bollywood and many others.


Curtain Raiser Details
Collingwood v Northern Blues
VFL Round 17
Saturday 8 August 2015
MCG, 10.16am

Tickets: Any person wishing to attend the match must purchase a ticket to the AFL match between Collingwood and Carlton. Click here to buy your tickets now.

Gate Opening Times
Public: 9.50am
AFL Reserve: 9.50am
MCC Reserve: 9.50am

First Quarter: 30 minute set with no time on
Second Quarter: 30 minute set with no time on
Third Quarter: 20 minutes plus time on (as per AFL home and away season), capped at 32 minutes
Fourth Quarter: 20 minutes plus time on (as per AFL home and away season), capped at 32 minutes

Quarter time break: 6 minutes
Half time break: 18 minutes
Three quarter time break: 6 minutes

Please note: There are to be no spectators on the ground during the breaks in play.