WHEN Kevin Sheedy left Essendon, the trickery was presumed to have gone with him. Collingwood coach Michael Malthouse wonders whether it remains alive and well at Windy Hill.

Early this week Essendon released its injury list and it nearly spilt to two pages. Eighteen players were listed, and one more was out for disciplinary issues.

Matthew Knights lamented that he would likely have just 26 players at his disposal. Malthouse was surprised.

"I look at (Essendon's injury list) in its entirety. I don't look at what people tell me," Malthouse said.

"I look at their seconds and my forward scout watched their training during the week, and he sees 35 Essendon players training on their ground — 35, of which 11 are now playing in their (VFL affiliate) Bendigo side tomorrow.

"Eleven and 22 equals 33, I hope, that's 33 players they have got to pick from. It's hardly 24 or 25.

"All I go by is what our training scout says and look at the 35 options they have got to pick from and, one thing I know for sure, the 22 are very dangerous."

The case for the defence for Essendon would be that of the 18 players on its injury list, the chances of 11 of them playing would rely on either a test or an assessment (a delineation we remain uncertain about).

In the event, Dustin Fletcher (ankle), Andrew Welsh (concussion) and Angus Monfries (ankle) have all recovered and will play.

Collingwood's own immediate injury issues relate to Leon Davis and Josh Fraser. Davis was a late withdrawal again last week, but joined the light skills session yesterday and moved freely on his ankle.

Josh Fraser will play in the VFL again strictly as a forward. But, Malthouse said, this was not a portent of things to come for the ruckman who is being prevented from playing his primary role by a posterior cruciate ligament injury.

"He has got to play the role that he is best accustomed to, and that is ruck, and if he goes forward they will be like they have been over his career — cameos," Malthouse said.

"Josh can play forward, but not as a permanent forward. He needs to be able to ruck and go forward. He hasn't got the history of being a straight forward.

"Josh was injured in a state-of-origin game and played the next three or four weeks and, on reflection, that put him under more duress than what was needed.

"We have elected not to play him until the medical people believe that he is capable of rucking again and, when he is capable of rucking again — and that is distinctly different from running around at seconds level — he will play."

Malthouse endorsed his senior assistant coach Guy McKenna as the first coach of the Gold Coast team, but said he should only accept a three-year deal.

"As I said to these blokes, be very very cautious of signing a two-year contract. If it is good enough for Michael Voss to be offered three — an untried coach to be offered three — surely it is good enough for a proven assistant coach to be offered three? And I mean three, meaning the third year is as senior coach."

Malthouse said Collingwood remained focused on making the top eight initially, with a chance of snatching a top-four spot if things fall its way over the final six rounds.

To make finals, he believed the club needed to win three of its remaining six matches.

"The difference between us, North Melbourne (and) Carlton, and Geelong, is consistency, and great players that play at a high level week in, week out. Geelong do it. Us, North Melbourne and Carlton — all fighting for a position in the eight — we look good when we look good, and we look pretty ordinary when we look ordinary. Geelong play ordinary and look good and win games."