Collingwood 2013 Season Preview

Superfooty

NATHAN Buckley prepared as well as anyone to play the game. But as a coach, he just can't get this pre-season thing right.
Not that any of the issues are his fault.
Last year the Magpies were cursed by the injury gods as first Brent Macaffer then Andrew Krakouer suffered serious knee injuries in practice matches. Luke Ball and Lachie Keeffe were gone soon after.
The Pies' injury problems this summer haven't been as spectacular, but Ball, Dale Thomas and Alan Didak are all likely to start the season late and severely underdone.
Then there's the distraction of Dane Swan's unauthorised TV interview - an area the Pies thought they could control.
Despite all that, there is plenty of reason for optimism at Magpieland.
Collingwood made it to a preliminary final without Ball, Krakouer, Macaffer and Keeffe and with Thomas playing hurt.
The Pies traded expertly post-season, losing Sharrod Wellingham, Chris Dawes and Tom Young but aquiring like-for-like replacements in Clinton Young, Quinten Lynch and Jordan Russell.
They also picked up a steal on draft night in boom SA ruckman Brodie Grundy and while we are unlikely to see much of him this season, thrice-retired big man Ben Hudson has arrived to lend a hand to Darren Jolly.
And a quick look at the Copeland Trophy results shows they should challenge again, with top three Dayne Beams, Scott Pendlebury and Dane Swan all in the top 10 midfielders in the game.
How close the Pies get to a flag might come down to the big hands of Travis Cloke.
Trav was distracted all year by a contract drama and couldn't get near the footy in some games, but still managed to kick 59 goals and take more contested marks than any other player in the comp.
With Big Q splitting packs beside him, Cloke could get on the end of a lot more in 2013.