Senior coach Dean Cox appeared in a weekly press conference on Wednesday afternoon. See what he had to say on team selection pressure in the forward line, Marn Grook at the SCG and James Rowbottom's 150th career game.

On sidelining Charlie Curnow and Jai Serong

"These ones are a bit more cautious. One thing we don't want to do is flirt with form for individuals and also the team, and that was a decision medically to make them unavailable and to get them back as quickly as we can, and hopefully that was only the one week."

On team selection in the forward line

"Oh, I won't say never play all four. At the minute we won't. We'll have to make a decision after training about what the best format looks like with three of those. We'll have a discussion, wait for training and hopefully everyone gets through and then make the decision from there.

"You want competition for spots. All I can do is be really open and honest with the players about why they're in or why they're not playing, and that's what I'll do later on today with some players if they don't make it."

On Joel Amartey's contract discussions

"We want Joel here. He knows that, his management know that. You know, the dialogue with the football club will always continue. And we also understand the dynamic and the nature of free agency that happens, and Joel's apart of that. That'll always be spoken about until hopefully he signs with our football club."

On rumours John Longmire may return to coaching 

"I haven't spoken to him specifically about, does he want to coach again. One thing I can say is, you know, I'm forever indebted to the opportunity he gave me. And I suppose to do an apprenticeship under an unbelievable coach. So whether he's got the passion and wants to jump back in, I'm not sure. But, you know, he's a great coach and obviously a great football person as well. So that's a decision for him to make."

On Collingwood's availability

"I don't look into that. You know, one thing I try and prepare our players for every week is the opposition team at their best. No matter what personnel is out there, they are a very experienced football team that have played a lot of footy together.

"I think they're the third best defence. So they've always been up for the fight and they always will be. And we've had some great battles with them, certainly here at the SCG. We prepare for that 23 to play their best and their team to play their best. That would be my mindset."

On defending the Pies

"That's what we spoke about as part of our review. We're challenging the playing group is to get back to playing the defensive brand of football that we know we can play.

"And it doesn't matter against the opposition. We always look really closely at how they move the ball, what they do, how they set up. But we need to make sure our defensive intent is right from the outset because, as you mentioned, the last couple of weeks, it hasn't been to the level it should be."

On Matt Roberts' injury

"Yeah, he's OK. And that's just come halfway through the game. It was just, all right, he needs a rest now and he needs to make sure he gets his body right.

"Because what he showed at the start of the year is that he's a really important player for us. And we need to make sure that we allow him to do that. And how long that is, it'll be a couple of weeks to make sure that he can get right and perform the way we need him."

On welcoming past players back for Marn Grook

"Once you've been at our football club or represented our football club, you're always welcome back. And we try and get them back as often as possible for such a momentous occasion.

"And what Marn Grook and Sir Doug Nicholls Round is about, it's a chance to really honour and reflect on the times they had at the footy club and on the football field, what they could do. So, yeah, it's a really special week."

On getting more First Nations athletes into AFL 

"There's a decline in Indigenous players on an AFL list, something that we need to work our way through. And the club with the First Nations Academy is doing that. You know, we want to try and make sure that we can get as many talented Indigenous players or give them the opportunity to come through a pathway that they can get to an AFL list. And, you know, I think every club should be doing it.

"The AFL should look at it really heavily because, as we see with, you know, and as I've known since I was a little boy in country WA, they do things that other players can't do, and it's really special."

On James Rowbottom's 150th career game

"Yeah, he's been good for us. He's played a little bit sort of ahead of the ball and also on ball, trying to complement the mix that we do need. I think the thing with James is one thing you always do is he's an amazing club person, will put the team first at all times.

"And not only that, but the way he goes about and the way he plays is as hard as I've seen any player prepare and play. So we expect him Friday night to put the Collingwood team under as much pressure as they possibly can."

On Logan McDonald

"For me with the forwards, it's not about how many goals they kick. It's about do they fit within our system? Do they run the patterns that's required at certain times to provide multiple options for the kickers that are up the ground? And are they always on the end of those chains? Not all the time.

"But they create space or avenues to someone else to be on the chain. And Logan's been doing that. He's obviously played really well and kicked some goals. And he's got on the end of a few in the last couple of weeks, so it's been really important as well."