Collingwood AFLW squad hit with COVID-19 crisis ahead of finals

Collingwood is facing a battle to find enough players to ensure its AFLW qualifying final against Brisbane goes ahead after a wave of COVID-19 cases hit its squad.

The Magpies also confirmed their men's side had lost Will Hoskin-Elliott and two assistant coaches to health and safety protocols ahead of Friday night's AFL clash with St Kilda.

Victoria on Wednesday recorded a five-week high in COVID-19 cases, with 9,426 new infections.

Scheduled for Saturday at the Gabba, the Brisbane-Collingwood AFLW qualifying final may have to be postponed if the Magpies do not have enough players available.

The AFL is working with the club to find a way through the issues but a resolution appears some way off.

A significant number of Collingwood players have already been affected, with the league and club braced for more.

AFLW rules state teams must have at least 16 squad members available for selection for a match to proceed.

The team can be topped up by players from outside the AFLW program.

Collingwood cancelled a planned pre-finals media conference with women's coach Steve Symonds on Wednesday as it attempted to deal with the crisis.

Meanwhile, Magpies men's coach Craig McRae revealed Hoskin-Elliott and assistants Brendon Bolton and Josh Fraser were isolating at home.

They will miss the round-one meeting with St Kilda at Docklands.

Hoskin-Elliott had already been in doubt after he was injured when he landed awkwardly at training on Monday.

«We thought he [Hoskin-Elliott] might have to prove his fitness today, but he's now been put on COVID protocols, he's going to be out for seven days as a minimum,» McRae said.

«Two of our coaches are going to be out of the game as well, which is just part and parcel of the environment we're in, isn't it?

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