Nick Daicos ruled out of Brisbane Lions AFL game at the Gabba

Nick Daicos will not take on Brisbane after being a very late withdrawal from the blockbuster match.

Headshot of Ben McClellan
Ben McClellan
The Nightly
Nick Daicos won’t play Brisbane.
Nick Daicos won’t play Brisbane. Credit: Daniel Pockett/Getty Images

Nick Daicos won’t play against the Brisbane Lions tonight in the 2023 grand final rematch after being ruled out with a leg injury less than half an hour before the game was due to start.

Daicos struggled with a corkie during the warm‑up at the Gabba and was visibly limping before being withdrawn.

Ed Allan has been rushed into the side after Collingwood confirmed Daicos was out with a calf injury.

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That point was loud and clear when Collingwood coach Craig McRae admitted mid-interview on Channel 7 that Daicos was “not moving well”.

It was “full drama” in the 90 minutes before the bounce, according to Channel 7’s Mitch Cleary.

“Into the rooms, out, strapping on, back out for warm-up, that didn’t work,” he said.

“They went back in, took the strapping off and that didn’t look good either.

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“This guy didn’t train at all during the week .. the six-day break doesn’t help at the best of times.”

Collingwood were already without captain Darcy Moore and veteran Scott Pendlebury.

Moore returned in last week’s win over GWS, only to be sidelined for a month with a fresh hamstring injury.

- with AAP

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