‘Not over yet’: Pies not giving up on finals as PLAYERS injury return date is discussed

A “crazy” season of results across the AFL season is enough for Collingwood players to hold out hope a push for the club’s first back-to-back premierships since the 1930s “isn’t over” despite what looms as a longshot task.

The first order of business this week, according to premiership ruckman Darcy Cameron, is to park all feelings from the “heartbreaking” loss to the Sydney Swans last Friday and zone in on taking down premiership favourites the Brisbane Lions at the MCG on Saturday.

With two games to go, the Magpies, who last won back-to-back flags in 1935-36, sit one game out of the top eight ahead of clashes against the Lions and then Melbourne to close out the season.

Wins in both are a non-negotiable, but even with a victory on Saturday, other results could mean their cause in round 24 is a lost one.

But while there’s life, according to Cameron, there’s hope.

“It’s not over yet. We’re going to fight to the very end with two big games to come,” Cameron said on Monday.

“The season’s been crazy and you saw on the weekend the results just keep getting more and more weird … (so) there is still hope.

“You can’t predict anything this season, so we’re just going to go out there and play our brand this week and hopefully things can fall in place for us.”

The last time Collingwood took on the Lions at the MCG, the result was a four-point win in the grand final. The Magpies also took down Brisbane by 20 points at the Gabba in round 3 to show a recent dominance over Saturday’s opponents.

A long list of upsets in recent weeks included GWS beating the Lions on their home ground last weekend, and for Cameron, that’s enough to expect something special at the MCG on Saturday.

“We’re not out of it yet. This game means a lot for us,” he said.

“It’s our last home game for us and if the ‘Magpie Army’ can turn up and support us like they always do, which I’m sure they will, that will be big for us.

“We’re going to go out there and execute our game style for 100 per cent of the game, not just 90 per cent like we’ve seen over the last two weeks.”

After the Brisbane clash, the Magpies close out the season on a Friday night against Melbourne, again at the MCG.

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