Collingwood recruit Josh Eyre was convinced his AFL career was over after a serious hamstring injury just 10 days ago during his quest for one of three remaining lists spot with the reigning premiers.
But he’s now determined to repay their faith after the key defender was picked up alongside midfield duo Lachie Sullivan and Jack Bytel last week, despite the hamstring injury which he says will keep him out until at least late April.
The 198cm former Essendon-listed player is set to provide important key defensive depth for the Pies as no timeline in place for premiership back Nathan Murphy.
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Murphy participated in the warm-up at Collingwood training on Monday but left the track when contact drills began, after last week he announced he would sit out both pre-season games and further contact training until he was “in the right frame of mind” to return.
The 24-year-old has not played since he suffered the 10th concussion of his career in the second quarter of Collingwood’s Grand Final win, but was cleared to resume playing by the AFL’s independent concussion panel before Christmas.
With his delayed start to the season, Eyre will sit behind Billy Frampton and Charlie Dean in the key defensive pecking order at the Pies, but he said he had learnt plenty from the club’s star defenders and felt he had something to offer.
“I think I just back myself in – show my strengths, attack the footy in the air,” Eyre said.
“I’ve just learnt a lot off guys like Darcy Moore and Jeremy Howe … they’ve taught me a lot down there.”
Eyre thought his dream of a return to an AFL list had gone up in flames when in near identical scenes to a year ago when he was auditioning for a list spot at St Kilda, he went down with a serious hamstring injury on the eve of the season.
“It was a lot of deja vu … I had a very similar experience at St Kilda the year before. I really thought it was over to be honest, in that exact moment,” he said.
“I personally was told (by Collingwood) that (the injury) wouldn’t affect the decision, but I thought it would, so for them to show a bit of faith in me means a lot.
“I’m really excited to start my rehab – I should be back around late April, early May … it was quite overwhelming, it was pretty amazing the way everyone got around me.”
Midfielders Bytel and Sullivan said they were surprised to have both received contracts at the Magpies after assuming they would not take on two on-ballers with the three list spots.
Bytel, who played 22 games in five years at St Kilda before he was delisted at the end of last season, said he had significantly improved his ability to play roles other than as an inside midfielder and was prepared for opportunities on a wing or up forward.
Former Footscray VFL captain Sullivan, who could put pressure on senior Magpies for a midfield spot early in the season after a strong showing in last week’s intra-club match, has finally received a chance after coming close to being drafted several times since he was nearly selected as a teenager in 2015.
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