Collingwood has named Beau McCreery for its blockbuster Qualifying Final against Adelaide at Adelaide Oval on Thursday night.
The South Australian was unable to train last week after his foot was trodden on against the Demons in round 25, but has been named to return for the blockbuster.
McCreery is rated as elite for pressure acts and is the only forward ranked within the top 30 players for that stat.
He is also in the top ten for inside 50 tackles, along with his forward counterpart Lachie Schulz.
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The two of them combine for an average of 3.6 inside 50 tackles per game—the best of any two teammates in the competition.
His inclusion this week is a much-needed one after battling a lingering hamstring injury this year that he sustained in round 15.
In the seven games he missed in the back half of the season, the Pies started to show the ‘wobbles’, losing three of seven.
Their only wins came against West Coast, Carlton, Richmond, and Melbourne - all bottom-eight sides.
While he may not have the finals pedigree of many of his teammates, McCreery is as pivotal to a Grand Final for Collingwood as any player on the list.
His inside 50 tackling and forward pressure are almost unrivalled this season.
But he applies forward pressure acts that not many can match.
McCreery will inject more finals experience into the competition's oldest ever-team, as they come up against the Crows, a side with minimal big-game experience.
Despite being only 24 years old, McCreery has already played in six finals, winning four of them.
While four finals wins is impressive, it would not rank too highly when compared to his veteran Collingwood teammates.
But if he were to switch sides this Thursday night, he would be tied with Crow veterans Rory Laird and Brodie Smith for second in finals matches won, and would only trail Taylor Walker and Alex Neal-Bullen, who each have five.