Alan Toovey Biography

Collingwood premiership players Alan Toovey and Brent Macaffer will retire after the VFL finals.

"Today was a great opportunity to celebrate the careers of a couple of guys that have been fantastic clubmen," Collingwood coach Nathan Buckley told Fox Footy.

"It was fantastic to share (it) with players and staff alike, and it was literally a celebration of what they've contributed to the club, not necessarily 'goodbye'."

Alan Toovey is intensifying his training as he enters the final phase of his comeback from a ruptured ACL.

"I think this time last year I would've been a little bit stronger, but nowhere near as fit," Toovey said.

"The amount of running I've done has been pretty good, it's just about finishing off with the contact stuff and I'll be right to go."

Alan Toovey signs with Collingwood for three more years, keeping him at the club until the end of 2016.

Alan Toovey will miss the rest of the year after rupturing his ACL during the Magpies' Anzac Day loss to the Bombers.

"As a player, Alan's versatility and discipline have been important to us for a number of years and as member of our club there are very few, if any, people thought of more highly," Collingwood football director Geoff Walsh said.

"That said, we're confident that Alan will bring to his recovery and rehabilitation the sort of professionalism he brings to his football and he will be back in very good shape."

Collingwood defender Alan Toovey is using his time away from football to round out his studies and do his bit for those less fortunate at the Epworth Hospital.

"I wouldn't mind getting into the sports science stuff that happens at the club. It's always pretty interesting," he said.

"It would also be good to do rehab stuff for those kinds of head injuries, helping people getting back to walking.

"They do a running group at Epworth that is highly rated where they get people back to walking and then to running. That kind of rehab is interesting too, and I wouldn't mind being able to do something like that."

Collingwood's Alan Toovey says the whole team is defending poorly and it is unfair to single out Harry O'Brien and Dale Thomas after the pair were the target of criticism in the media for the Magpies' poor start to 2012.

"When your team's not defending well, it's easy to kind of pick out single players whose opponents are kicking goals but really, you want 18 people defending. It's a goal against the team, not one player," Toovey said.

"Harry and Dale are both great players for us and just because they've had a slower start to the season, I'm sure they're going to bounce back because good players always do."

Despite his manager threatening he would leave the club, Alan Toovey has signed a new two-year deal with Collingwood.

"I'm happy that this contract situation has been resolved and I thank Collingwood for showing faith in me," Toovey told the club's website.

"As a team we have an exciting period ahead of us so to know that I have the opportunity to be part of that is very pleasing as I love playing for Collingwood and want to experience further success."

Collingwood president Eddie McGuire admits that Alan Toovey could be a victim of the league's salary cap as the disgruntled player looks for a trade to another club.

"I suppose his manager will find out this week whether or not that the offer that has been put in front of Alan is an insult or if its market rate," McGuire said about Toovey.

"The middle players are going to get jammed and what you're going to have is a roller coaster of blokes - if they're prepared to go for an extra $50,000 - then they'll move around and you're going to see more of this tactic."

Magpie Alan Toovey's manager Jim Marinis controversially alerts rival clubs via email that his client is available for trade.

"Alan is contracted until October 31. If a trade cannot be completed, Alan will be nominating for this year's draft," the email said.

"It is no secret that clubs have been notified that his contract negotiations have broken down. We think Alan has been well and truly undervalued. We are not asking for the world but we want market rates which Collingwood haven't offered him."

Alan Toovey is set to leave Collingwood after contract talks between the Magpies and the defender broke down.

"With negotiations broken down, Collingwood has told us there is no more room in the salary cap to move so we are looking at potential suitors out there if they are interested in Alan Toovey's services," Toovey's manager Jim Marinis said.

"The only way this can work unfortunately is if Collingwood delist a senior player in order to move in that salary cap."

Alan Toovey says he has little memory of Collingwood's round eight loss to the Cats, listening to the final moments in an ambulance after a serious collision with Cat Tom Hawkins that left him with bruised lungs.

"I was getting updates from the radio in the ambulance, and I was listening to the game and the scores were coming in," he said.

"Other than that, all I remember is just getting driven off on the stretcher."

Collingwood defender Alan Toovey is set to miss at least two weeks of football with a broken finger.

"When it happened I knew I was in trouble because I looked down and my finger was pointing the wrong way," Toovey said.

"I have to wait for the pain and swelling to subside before I can get back in the gym. I should be in there by early next week and I'm hoping that I recover quickly and I'm back playing [in] a few weeks."

Coillingwood defender Alan Toovey is hopeful of facing West Coast after recovering from his nasty collision with Cat Tom Hawkins.

"It was a bit scary. When all the doctors came out on the ground they were all worried about my face and neck, and I could feel myself I'd copped it all in the chest and my face was fine," Toovey said.

"They were pretty relieved when I could tell them my face was okay."

Collingwood Alan Toovey has headed home after three nights in hospital following Friday night's collision with Cat Tom Hawkins which resulted in bruised lung.

"It's just part of being in a team. When it's your turn to go, you've got to go," Toovey said.

"That's just part of the game and I suppose being a defender you've got to go back a bit more than other positions."

Collingwood defender Alan Toovey is taken from the field after a sickening clash while running with the flight of the ball with Geelong's Tom Hawkins.

Toovey will spend the weekend recovering at Epworth Hospital.

"You feel for somebody when you see that," Geelong player Jimmy Bartel said.

"It was incredibly brave, and I think everybody in the football world has incredible respect for Alan Toovey."