Collingwood Magpies coach Craig McRae met with Carlton Blues star Jack Silvagni, and now he wants a second date

Collingwood great Nathan Buckley gave a glowing assessment of Silvagni when speaking on SEN on Wednesday morning.

“If I was coaching anywhere in the competition, Jack Silvagni would be a player I would love to have on my list,” Buckley said on SEN Mornings.

“He’s had a horrendous run with injuries in the last three or four years [but] he is going to play his best footy in the next five seasons.

“If I’m Carlton I would have been doing everything I could to not lose him, but it seems like that, for whatever reason – where the club has been, how he has been managed potentially – he has decided to look over the fence.

“He would not have had to look far to find suitors.

“I think it’s a really shrewd approach by Collingwood because he will really help them in the next few years.”

Buckley added that Silvagni was a player any club would want.

“He is everything Carlton have needed in the last couple of years. You could put him in any role on the field and he will find a way.

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“He’s not fast but he’s a massive competitor – he is strong in the contest, he never gives in and he’s got leadership.

“You could not have enough Jack Silvagnis on your list. He will be a massive loss for Carlton and a massive get for any other club that could get him.”

The Magpies expect Scott Pendlebury will be fit for Saturday night’s top-of-the-ladder with the Brisbane Lions at the MCG. He was a late withdrawal last round after struggling with a corked muscle.

Dan McStay has been training as a defender while Billy Frampton is in contention to return, with Jeremy Howe still injured.

Skipper Darcy Moore (back) didn’t train on Wednesday, but McRae said he “should be fine” to face the reigning premiers on Saturday, while Scott Pendlebury is set to return.

Collingwood are weighing up whether to bring back Bobby Hill, who kicked three goals in the VFL on his return from personal leave, and Jordan De Goey, who had 19 disposals on limited minutes.

“In the ideal world, they probably do both need a little bit more [match time under their belts],” McRae said.

“But we just weigh up what the team needs this week, and then what’s best for those guys longer-term.

“Are they fit and available to perform at a level that we’d like this week?”

Veteran defender Howe will be out for at least two more weeks with a groin injury, but the Magpies hope he can return to training next week.

Small forward Lachie Sullivan will miss the rest of the season after suffering a high-grade PCL injury against Richmond last round.

Sullivan is expected to be out for at least 12 weeks.

With AAP