Collingwood will hand dashing defender Tew Jiath his debut as the club looks to its Round 14 clash with North Melbourne at Marvel Stadium on Sunday.
Jiath - who was taken with Pick 37 in the 2023 National Draft - will be the sixth debutant for the Pies in 2024, following the likes of Charlie Dean, Lachie Sullivan, Joe Richards, Wil Parker and Ed Allan.
The younger brother of Hawthorn's Changkuoth Jiath, Tew has impressed since joining the AIA Centre, showcasing his speed and athleticism off half back.
Itโs TJ time!
Our dashing half-back Tew Jiath will make his AFL debut against North Melbourne on Sunday ๐ pic.twitter.com/nb26YLWYv4
— Collingwood FC (@CollingwoodFC) June 14, 2024
Collingwood Craig McRae kept his cards close to his chest during his Friday press conference but hinted that Jiath had been making a splash in the short time he'd been at the club.
"I just love the way he expresses himself on the footy field," McRae told reporters on Friday.
"He goes for his marks like his brother for Hawthorn. He is a talent. I think he is going to be really nice player for us."
With the Pies confirming superstar Nick Daicos is right to go following a pair of knocks to his shin and subsequent substituting during the King's Birthday clash, news on premiership defender Oleg Markov wasn't as positive.
Markov wasn't sighted at the club's main training session after his back seized up during the indoor warm-up, with the captain's run on Saturday his last chance to prove his fitness.
"Pre-training we do some hands work inside and he jarred his back, so he couldn't train," McRae said.
"He is going to be a race to the line, so it will be interesting to see if he gets up."
Former St Kilda midfielder Jack Bytel has reportedly been omitted from the side, according toย AFL Media'sย Josh Gabelich.
Jiath will debut the same week his older brother plays his 50th game for Hawthorn.
The 19-year-old has averaged 15.5 disposals and 6 marks in the VFL.
