Buckley says Swan’s form has been a reflection of Collingwood’s tumultuous season.
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Returning star Collingwood midfielder Dane Swan is a “snapshot” of Collingwood’s roller-coaster season, according to coach Nathan Buckley.
Swan is set to return for the Magpies against Brisbane this weekend after being sidelined for three rounds with a foot injury.
After its loss against West Coast, Collingwood now languish outside the top eight with its finals hopes hanging by a thread.
Buckley said Swan was a good reflection of his side’s season.
The 30-year-old has battled plantar fasciitis, which was hampering his impact on games.
“Swanny is probably a really good snapshot of where we are at,” Buckley said.
“He’s had his own standards leading up to the beginning of this year with six or seven years of absolute consistency and he’s had a poor year by his standards.”
Buckley however stressed that he was looking forward to Swan’s return.
“But the season’s not over for him and it’s not over for us,” he said.
“We’re looking forward to him coming in with fresh legs and bringing his experience as well.”
Collingwood face the lowly-placed Brisbane Lions on Saturday at the MCG in what is a must-win game for the club.
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