COME AFL finals time the stakes are so much higher. And with them comes a corresponding increase in the number of conspiracy theories surrounding players.

Yesterday, it was Travis Cloke's turn. The Collingwood key forward is rumoured to be suffering from glandular fever, keeping him off the training track earlier in the week.

When the question of Cloke's health was put to skipper Scott Burns, who also declared himself fit for tonight's match against St Kilda, he could only laugh and suggest such rumours might be a good ruse to fool the Saints.

"He wouldn't be out here if he had glandular fever, but you can keep using that one, yeah, Trav might not play," he said, suggesting Cloke's efforts at training yesterday should be enough to dispel such theories.

The reason for Cloke's absence earlier in the week, according to Burns, was far less sinister; the spearhead simply needed extra rest after the win over Adelaide.

"It was pretty warm over there in Adelaide and he covered a fair few (kilometres). He's a pretty important member of our team, so we just wanted to freshen him up and make sure he's right (for St Kilda)," Burns said.

Cloke had a reasonably quiet game by his standards last weekend, kicking only one goal from 12 disposals, and obviously will be looking to dominate across half-forward against the Saints.

Burns was pleased that his own injured calf had healed "to 100%", and suggested it had always been the plan to return this week.

"I feel really good. A solid week at training's always a good sign, and I've been pulling up pretty well," he said.

"So unless I wake up tomorrow walking on eggshells … I'm confident I'll be playing tomorrow night."

Burns said if the calf was "anything less than 100% I wouldn't even be thinking about playing".

"Any soft-tissue one (injury), you just slowly build up, and when you can get through training and don't notice it or don't feel it — even after you ice it — you're doing pretty well.

"I haven't felt it for a week-and-a-half, so I'm really confident — everything's gone to plan, which is great."

Burns said defender Simon Prestigiacomo had recovered from the shoulder injury he received in the win over Adelaide last week.

Collingwood has beaten St Kilda twice this season, albeit only by a couple of straight kicks, and Burns would not say that the favourable record again made the Magpies favourites to win tonight.

"I don't think anyone's favourite this weekend. I think we're all a flip of the coin," he said.

"Any of the four teams playing this weekend would be confident in themselves (that) if they did everything right to restrict the opposition in what they want to do, and certainly for the majority of the game get things in place that they want to do offensively, then they'd be pretty confident you could win.

"(But) if you come just that little bit off, you are in trouble."

The Magpies had only one player selected in the All-Australian squad last week, with small forward Paul Medhurst getting the nod for his best season to date, which has so far yielded 49 goals.

Burns was philosophical that no other Collingwood player had made the squad, but singled out Leon Davis as being particularly stiff for not catching the attention of selectors. "Leon had a quiet four or five weeks, but other than that he has been absolutely outstanding," he said.

"I'm sure if you look at all the candidates that are in those squads, there is probably players who have had two or three or four weeks down at some stage.

"That's the way it goes. We're just pretty happy to be playing in the Collingwood jumper each week."