Josh Daicos sat out the dreaded yo-yo test at Collingwood training on Saturday with an injury concern.
The AFL premiership player was bothered by a problem with his lower right leg and in some discomfort as he spoke to club physios on the track.
WATCH THE VIDEO ABOVE: Clayton Oliver trains solo, Josh Daicos sits out Pies session.
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Already training away from the main group, he slumped his head and walked indoors with a minor limp before teammates completed a gruelling session.
Second-year player Ed Allan pushed star defender Isaac Quaynor all the way to the end of the yo-yo test.
Elsewhere at the Pies, Craig McRae and his coaches are keeping their options open as they look to cover Dan McStay in 2024.
The tall forward, who missed the grand final through injury, went down with an ACL injury on December 1.
High-flying defender Jeremy Howe is spending time as a forward in match simulation during Collingwood’s pre-season.
Earlier on Saturday, Melbourne star Clayton Oliver completed a two-hour, 13km-plus running session at nearby Gosch’s Paddock in his first days away from the club.
The 26-year-old was recently granted indefinite leave from the Demons to deal with personal health issues.
There is no timeframe for his return but Oliver is still hitting the track, training with a friend at Melbourne’s former home base.
“He is in good spirits, he feels very fit and he says he’s motivated to come back to the Dees footy program eventually playing,” 7NEWS Melbourne’s Andrew McCormack reported.
Dees medical staff continue to work with Oliver alongside the midfielder’s own medical team.
Oliver was first absent from Melbourne’s pre-season training on Thursday.
“Clayton has personal issues that he has been dealing with,” football boss Alan Richardson said.
“Clayton has been working extremely closely with his personal medical team, and with the support of key club staff, in order to manage these challenges.
“The club fully supports Clayton taking this important time out, which will allow him to focus on these challenges.
“Our primary focus is Clayton’s overall wellbeing, and we will continue to support him through this period.
“It’s important for Clayton that we respect his privacy and his need for time and space.”
Oliver has battled injuries and medical issues over the past year while he has also faced questions about his off-field behaviour.
In December he cut short his time at Melbourne’s training camp in Lorne to deal with medical problems.
Oliver’s professionalism was repeatedly questioned in 2023 amid doubts over his future at Melbourne.
The triple All-Australian was restricted to 15 games last season because of a drawn-out hamstring injury but returned before finals, when the Demons made a second consecutive straight-sets exit.
Oliver was later the subject of intense trade speculation, with Adelaide among the clubs interested, despite being under contract until 2030 after signing a massive seven-year extension.
Melbourne ultimately did not put him on the trade table.
Dees coach Simon Goodwin said in October he had never considered trading Oliver, but he and chief executive Gary Pert made it clear the midfielder needed to adhere to the club’s standards.
Oliver said he did not want to leave the AFL club, where he was a star of their 2021 premiership, but had been prepared to depart if Melbourne no longer wanted him.
The 26-year-old also committed to knuckling down and meeting Melbourne’s standards.
“Obviously I did not want to leave. I love the boys, I love the club and I love ‘Goody’,” Oliver told 7NEWS.
“I probably owe my career to him so I’d never leave someone who has been so loyal to me.
“I just want to put my best foot forward for the club, be the best teammate I can be and be the best person I can be for the Melbourne Football Club.”
Oliver was pulled over by police on November 16 and charged with driving with a suspended licence.
He has been unable to drive on medical grounds since he was hospitalised following a seizure on October 12, which he partially attributed to side effects of his ADHD medication.
Oliver is due to face court on February 6.
– with AAP