Collingwood AFLW senior coach Sam Wright has made one change to the team that will face Narrm in Sunday’s Round 3 clash at Victoria Park, with key forward Nell Morris-Dalton to return for her first game in 665 days.
The 24-year-old hasn’t played since the Pies’ final game of the 2023 season, having sustained a long-term back injury in last year’s pre-season.
Morris-Dalton is in her third season in black and white, with her maiden year in 2023 yielding eight goals from 10 games.
Before that, the left-footer notched 20 games for the Western Bulldogs across four seasons.
Captain Ruby Schleicher is the player to make way for Morris-Dalton, having been placed into concussion protocols after suffering a head knock in last week’s thrilling win against GWS.
The midfielder experienced delayed symptoms and was subsequently ruled out of this week’s game against the Demons.
Leader Lauren Butler will lead the side for the first time in the absence of Schleicher.
Sunday's clash against Narrm will see the Pies celebrate Indigenous Round.
The team will wear the Club's Indigenous guernsey across the two weeks of the AFLW’s Indigenous Rounds, starting with their home fixture this weekend at Victoria Park.
The guernsey was first worn by the Club’s AFL side during the AFL’s Sir Doug Nicholls Round in May this year.
Designed by First Nations artist Lisa Thorpe, a woman from multiple Clans and Nations across Victoria, she is a proud Boonwurrung, Gunnai, Gunditjmara, Wamba Wamba and Dja Dja Wurrung woman.
Inspired by her art piece ‘Wooroongi Biik’, meaning ‘Lore of the Land’, the guernsey symbolises the unity of the Boonwurrung Baluk (people) to Biik (Country), much like the Magpie Army to Collingwood.
Thorpe’s design features a magpie’s view of ‘Y’alla-Birr-Ang’ (Collingwood) at pre-colonisation, with the six Boonwurrung seasons depicted within its streets and laneways, each serving a purpose in life.
Magpie footprints are depicted within the central white stripe of the guernsey, representing the harmonious connection of life to Biik (Country). Spear-shaped elements along the white stripes signify the name Y’alla-Birr-Ang, which denotes the sharpened tip of a spear.
Eliza James, Georgia Knight and Georgia Clark will be the emergencies for Sunday’s clash.
Get your tickets for Sunday's clash at Victoria Park for just $15, with under-18s able to go free!
NAB AFLW Round 3
Collingwood v Narrm
Sunday 31 August, 1:05pm
Victoria Park, Melbourne – Wurundjeri
