Collingwood has ruled midfielder Taylor Adams out of contention for the AFL grand final after he pulled up sore at training.

The 30-year-old was the first player out on the ground for Tuesday’s training session at the AIA Centre, but left the track early and will not return for Saturday’s decider against the Brisbane Lions at the MCG.

Adams missed the Magpies’ preliminary final win over GWS last Friday night, but had been pushing his case to play in Collingwood’s first grand final since 2018.

“Unfortunate news for Taylor Adams, who experienced hamstring awareness during training today which will see him miss the grand final,” Magpies football boss Graham Wright said.

“Taylor is an ultimate professional and a true leader both on and off the field, and we will wrap our arms around him and continue to support him this week.

“Taylor was incredibly eager to be out there with his teammates and left no stone unturned in his rehabilitation and recovery, and we all share in his disappointment.”

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Collingwood is weighing up who will fill the void left by Daniel McStay, with the key forward ruled out of the grand final against his former club due to a knee injury.

Versatile tall Billy Frampton trained with the Magpies’ forwards on Tuesday and could be brought in for McStay after last playing in round 24 against Essendon.

Meanwhile, Scott Pendlebury has so much confidence in Collingwood winning close games after training last-minute scenarios more than he ever has before in his illustrious career.

The star veteran is preparing for his fifth grand final at the end of his 18th AFL season.

But Pendlebury has never had so much belief in the Magpies’ ability to succeed when matches come down to the wire.

Comeback victories under coach Craig McRae have become Collingwood’s trademark.

But its two gripping finals wins over Melbourne and Greater Western Sydney have come under intense pressure in the final quarter when the Pies have needed to grimly defend a lead.

“We definitely train those last few minutes situations a lot more in the last two years than I ever did across my whole career,” Pendlebury said.

“We’re well versed in those situations about what we want to do with or without the ball.

“We train that not just every now and again, we’ve trained that every training session for the last few minutes of our matchplay.

“We’re well versed if it’s tight. What we need to do if we’re up or down by a few points. What we need to do if we need to get the game back on that situation.

“But hopefully for us and our supporters, it’s not tight and we don’t have to do it.”

Rather than feel anxious in the dying stages of a close game, Pendlebury said there was a genuine belief in the whole team.

“There’s a trust and a confidence that I know what everyone around me is going to do and how we want to play,” the 2010 Norm Smith medallist said.

“I feel like the anxiety is in the crowd. My family certainly let me know about it after the game with all the things that were going to happen.

“I’m sort of oblivious to that because I’m the one that’s doing it.”

-AAP