Collingwood tall Ash Johnson will play in his first official game of football in 2025 after a long-term stint on the club's injury list.

Johnson is named in the Magpies' VFL side for their curtain-raiser against Gold Coast ahead of the two clubs' AFL Friday night fixture.

The 27-year-old hasn't played since fracturing his left fibula in a VFL practice match against Northern Bullants in March.

Collingwood forecast an extended patch on the sidelines at the time, with it having pushed out to just shy of four months.

It was unfortunate timing for the forward, who was delisted by the 2023 premiers at the end of last year before being re-selected in the rookie draft.

Johnson arrived at the Pies as a mid-season pick up 2021, playing nine matches in 2021 before a breakout campaign during the home and away season on the club's route to a premiership the following year.

He did not feature in the 2023 grand final.

He struggled for form at the top level in 2024, receiving the backing of coach Craig McRae and popular fan platforms amid a concerning level of outside criticism.

Collingwood currently sit a game and a half clear on top of the AFL ladder, following Brisbane's 37-point win over Carlton on Thursday night with Charlie Cameron leading the goalkicking with three majors.

Bobby Hill remained at home while the club travelled north for the Friday night showcase.

The Norm Smith Medallist hasn't played since round 15 against St Kilda for personal reasons.

He has also been knocked down with illness this week, McRae told reporters.

"Bobby's sick…but he wasn't going to play anyway. He's still week-to-week at the moment," the coach said.

"He hasn't trained this week, so that has sort of put him back a bit.

"When we put someone's name up there (unavailability) as personal, we'd like to keep it that way. It's for a reason. And we'll support him around what that looks like."

Gold Coast host Collingwood in the VFL from 3:35pm eastern at People First Stadium on Friday afternoon.