Collingwood star Taylor Adams and Western Bulldogs gun and ex-Magpie Adam Treloar look set to line-up in their respective midfields in next week's Round 1 clash.
The season-opening blockbuster between the Pies and Bulldogs next Friday night will have some extra feeling to it as Treloar faces off against his former side for the first time following his messy departure during the trade period.
The ace ball magnet has been sidelined with calf tightness in recent weeks and was held out of the Bulldogs' practice matches.
However, Treloar starred in their VFL hitout on Monday, racking up 19 disposals and six clearances in just over a half to put his hand up for a Round 1 berth
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SEN's Sam Edmund reports that Treloar will feature in the Round 1 grudge match against Collingwood, just four months after he was forced out of the club.
He would line-up in an elite midfield group and arguably the deepest in the competition, including Marcus Bontempelli, Jack Macrae, Josh Dunkley, Tom Liberatore, Bailey Smith and Lachie Hunter.
Meanwhile, AFL Media's Mitch Cleary reports that that Magpies vice-captain Adams has staked his claims for Round 1 after starring in an intraclub match on Thursday night.
The 2020 Copleland Trophy winner suffered a hamstring setback in early February and has been building up to full fitness without featuring in any of the club's practice matches.
"Adams looked sharp in the hour-long hitout to assure the Pies' match committee he's over the hamstring he strained in early February and ready to face the Western Bulldogs next Friday," Cleary wrote on AFL.com.
"After a gradual build-up to full fitness it was the first proper match simulation Adams has been part of since his injury."
With Steele Sidebottom (calf) in question for the Bulldogs clash, Nathan Buckley would be hard pressed to not pick Adams after his faultless performance in the intraclub.
But given Adams' history of soft tissue injuries, playing him in his first full length game since 2019 would come with significant risk.
Next Friday night's clash at the MCG kicks off at 7.50pm AEDT.