COLLINGWOOD 2021 SEASON PREVIEW
The Pies couldn’t kick a goal in 2020, lost the prelim, and then backed that up with a horror trade period — but there is cause for optimism in the Collingwood camp.
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| A lot will rest on Brodie Grundy’s broad shoulders in 2021. Picture: Paul Kane/Getty Images |
With some promising draftees added into the mix – but the losses of Adam Treloar, Jaidyn Stephenson and Tom Phillips from the Magpies’ starting 22 – the pressure will be right on Nathan Buckley’s men.
Here’s who needs to stand up and be counted this season.
INS: Oliver Henry (pick No. 17), Finlay Macrae (pick No. 19), Reef McInnes (pick No. 23), Caleb Poulter (pick No. 30), Liam McMahon (pick No. 31), Beau McCreery (pick No. 44), Isaac Chugg (rookie list)
OUTS: Adam Treloar (WB), Jaidyn Stephenson (NM), Atu Bosenavulagi (NM), Tom Phillips (Haw), Dayne Beams (retired), Tim Broomhead (delisted), Lynden Dunn (retired), Ben Reid (retired), Matthew Scharenberg (delisted), Travis Varcoe (retired)
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| The pressure will be right on Nathan Buckley and Collingwood in 2021. Picture: Michael Willson/AFL Photos via Getty Images
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COACH STATUS
2021 will be the final year of Nathan Buckley’s contract.
It once seemed a lock he would win a new deal, although after a tumultuous trade period that outraged many Magpie fans, he wouldn’t want a bad start to the new season.
In 2018, his Magpies came within 100 seconds of winning the flag.
In 2019, they lost the preliminary final by a kick and last year they were mauled by Geelong in a semi-final.
They’re still around the mark, but Buckley needs a good year.
The anger will only grow if the Pies struggle in 2021.
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| Brody Mihocek will be without Jaidyn Stephenson in attack next season after the young Magpie was traded to North Melbourne. Picture: Daniel Carson/AFL Photos via Getty Images |
GAME PLAN
The Magpies were very defensively minded in 2020.It did, however, appear to come at the expense of their attacking flair which had served them well in the past.
They ranked the lowest within the top eight for scoring and 13th overall for 2020, averaging just 57 points per game.
Maybe we put that down to the COVID season.
Regardless, they must find more avenues to goal, and they need to do this without Jaidyn Stephenson, who was one of their main attacking weapons.
They have a poor forward structure and no consistent goalscoring options.
We also know they’re a high volume team.
They were ranked No. 1 for disposals in 2020 and were happy to go by hand with the second-lowest kick-to-handball ratio.
Will the loss of ball magnet Adam Treloar hurt them in this area?
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It has been well documented that Collingwood had a nightmare of a trade period.
The anger among the Magpie Army was palpable when Adam Treloar, Jaidyn Stephenson, Tom Phillips and Atu Bosenavulagi were all pushed out the door.
The club said it was in desperate need of salary cap relief, so it must rankle with fans that the club will still pay $1.5 million of Treloar’s wage over the next five years to play for the Western Bulldogs.
It makes the first-round clash between the two clubs a must-watch event.
Following the trade debacle, only a strong result at the draft would soothe some of the discontent, and fortunately for the Magpies they won the PR battle here, grabbing five kids in the first 31 picks.
None of these players are proven yet, so the jury remains out on just how Collingwood managed its list to close out 2020.
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| New Collingwood draftees Reef McInnes, Finlay Macrae, Liam McMahon and Oliver Henry will be striving for senior action this season. |
The Woods were thrilled with their draft haul.
While the club would love all its draftees to make a quick impact, most are fairly raw and will need time to develop.
Although, 19-year-old Beau McCreery – taken at pick No. 44 – is tipped to play straight away as a pressure forward.
The speedster Reef McInnes – a Pies academy member – will spend the summer building up his tank as his endurance is lacking.
They also went with proven bloodlines taking Oliver Henry (pick No. 17) – brother of Geelong’s Jack – and Finlay Macrae (pick No. 19), whose brother Jackson is an established Bulldog.
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| Could we see Darcy Moore make a switch up forward? Picture: Michael Klein |
It is undoubtedly robbing Peter to pay Paul, but will the Magpies go all in on
Darcy Moore as a forward in 2021?
It may seem a ludicrous suggestion – he is a gun defender and was the All-Australian centre half-back in 2020.
But the fact remains that this Collingwood side struggles to kick goals.
And that was before they lost Stephenson during the trade period.
Their forward set-up remains the biggest issue for them.
It would certainly be a ballsy move coming off the year he has had down back.
The other dilemma facing Buckley is what to do with Jordan De Goey.
He has the traits and attributes of Dustin Martin in that he can have centre bounce impact and float forward to become a matchwinning goalkicker.
But can they turn him into a more permanent onballer to replace Treloar?
The return of Steele Sidebottom, who left the Queensland hubs for the birth of his daughter, gives them greater flexibility in this area.
It may seem a ludicrous suggestion – he is a gun defender and was the All-Australian centre half-back in 2020.
But the fact remains that this Collingwood side struggles to kick goals.
And that was before they lost Stephenson during the trade period.
Their forward set-up remains the biggest issue for them.
It would certainly be a ballsy move coming off the year he has had down back.
The other dilemma facing Buckley is what to do with Jordan De Goey.
He has the traits and attributes of Dustin Martin in that he can have centre bounce impact and float forward to become a matchwinning goalkicker.
But can they turn him into a more permanent onballer to replace Treloar?
The return of Steele Sidebottom, who left the Queensland hubs for the birth of his daughter, gives them greater flexibility in this area.
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In 2020, it was Josh Daicos who took the next step.
As for 2021, we’re backing the Brown brothers – Callum and Tyler – to follow suit.
We have both players in their best 22 and we expect them to get more time in the engine room in 2021.
We’d also love to see more of Will Kelly in 2021.
The son of Magpies premiership player Craig Kelly kicked a goal with his first kick on debut this season, but in the same game he dislocated his elbow and missed the remainder of the season.
It’s now or never for Brayden Sier. Stamp himself as a regular, or look for another club.
BEST 22 FOR NEXT SEASON
B: Brayden Maynard, Jordan Roughead, Isaac QuaynorHB: Jeremy Howe, Darcy Moore, Jack Crisp
C: Steele Sidebottom, Taylor Adams, Josh Daicos
HF: Will Hoskin-Elliott, Brody Mihocek, Jamie Elliott
F: Jordan De Goey, Mason Cox, Callum Brown
R: Brodie Grundy, Scott Pendlebury, Brayden Sier
Int: Will Kelly, John Noble, Chris Mayne, Tyler Brown
Emg: Josh Thomas, Levi Greenwood, Jack Madgen
CHAMPION DATA SAYS
Good: The Pies conceded the fifth-fewest amount of points of any side
across the competition. They also conceded a score from just 39 per cent of
their oppositions inside 50 entries – ranked seventh defensively. CHAMPION DATA SAYS
Bad: Ball use going inside 50 was an issue, ranked 16th for scoring once inside 50 and 17th at generating a mark from a kick going inside 50.
FINISH THE LAST FIVE YEARS
2016 12th, 2017 13th, 2018 2nd (grand final
loss), 2019 4th (preliminary final loss), 2020 8th (semi-final loss)
FINISH THE LAST FIVE YEARS
TAB PREMIERSHIP ODDS
$14
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