| 2017 AFL Round 1 COLLINGWOOD v FOOTSCRAY Time & Place: Friday March 24, 7:50pm EDT MCG TV: 7mate / Fox Footy 7:30pm EDT Weather: Min 14 Max 26 Chance of rain 60%: 1-5mm Wind: ESE 15kph Betting: Collingwood $2.80 Footscray $1.46 |
This is partly because the Magpies haven't played finals since 2013. But the intense scrutiny that follows the club like a bad smell also exists because Nathan Buckley put himself under the pump late last year.
The coach — who is out of contract at the end of 2017 — said it was finals or bust for Collingwood this year.
In each of the last three seasons, many pundits expected the biggest club in the land to feature in September. On each occasion they failed.
In 2014 and 2015 they were 8-3 at the halfway point of the season. Last year they were 4-7 and never recovered.
Their top end talent — especially in the midfield — is arguably as credentialed as anyone's. But Buckley's system and his players inability to consistently execute it place him in a precarious position this year.
Make no mistake, Collingwood cannot afford to tread water in 2017. They will either rise or fall.
Whatever the case, their story makes for an engrossing narrative and captivating viewing.
2016 Was …
Incredibly disappointing from the outset. Dane Swan's career-ending injury coupled with a mammoth defeat to Sydney in Round 1 set the wrong tone for the Magpies.
At their best they played terrific football, but unfortunately most of this came in the back half of the season. Defeating GWS by 32 points in Sydney was the highlight, while losing to the Bulldogs by three points in Round 21, despite having just 18 fit players for the final term, also deserves recognition.
But interspersed with these efforts came a succession of insipid performances that had Buckley scratching his head. Losing by 67 points to Port Adelaide at the MCG really hurt, as did the following week's eight-goal defeat to Melbourne. Both the Power and Dees were clubs roughly around Collingwood on the ladder but made the Magpies look substandard.
Key injuries didn't help, while Travis Cloke's poor form (aside from a four-goal haul against GWS) polluted their weekly narrative.
It wasn't all bad though. Adam Treloar played like he'd been at the club for 10 years, finishing second in the best and fairest behind skipper Scott Pendlebury.
Jeremy Howe found a niche at halfback, while Josh Smith and Brodie Grundy both took significant steps forward.
But overall the season left a lot to be desired. Nine wins, 12 losses and plenty of unanswered questions was the outcome.
Pass Mark: Finals
If they make finals, it's an automatic tick. If they don't, 2017 will be an immediate cross for Collingwood.
There are no freebies in Collingwood's opening month. They meet the reigning premiers in Round 1, before taking on Richmond in a Thursday night blockbuster. Regardless of what happens against the Bulldogs, this Tigers clash is a must-win for Buckley and his team.
Sydney will be a difficult assignment in Round 3, while Round 4 opponents St Kilda wiped the floor with Collingwood at the same time last year and have a good recent record at Etihad Stadium.
In saying this, every game for Collingwood is either a blockbuster or not far off one. Huge crowds are only matched by big expectations. Appreciating the hype is par for the course if you're a Mapgies player. Living up to it is another matter all together.
Jake's Take
"COLLINGWOOD'S chances of making the eight — and saving Private Buckley — rest on whether the Pies and its coaches can emulate Luke Beveridge by using a deep and talented midfield to paper over deficiencies at each. It's a fair test of coaching acumen. My guess is they just miss."
Champion Data Says
"IDENTIFYING a team's brand is relatively straight forward these days with the amount of data captured, however, the Magpies are one of the exceptions. Did they focus their game around ball movement? Did they want to play a high press? How did the Magpies want to score? Their ranking in all these areas was mid-table, making it hard to assess the game plan. This leads to the question of how did Collingwood defend? Was it trying to implement a special defence? Or was it trying to defend one-on-one? Again, the numbers don't point to one style over the other."
The Trade Period
Who Left: Brent Macaffer (Retired), Dane Swan (Retired), Alan Toovey (Retired), Tim Golds (Delisted), Matthew Goodyear (Delisted), Darrean Wyatt (Delisted), Nathan Brown (St Kilda), Jarrod Witts (Gold Coast), Travis Cloke (Western Bulldogs), Jack Frost (Brisbane), Marley Williams (North Melbourne), Corey Gault (Retired)
Who Arrived: Daniel Wells (North Melbourne), Chris Mayne (Fremantle), Will Hoskin-Elliott (GWS Giants), Lynden Dunn (Melbourne)
Draft Picks: Sam McLarty (Pick 30), Callum Brown (Pick 35), Kayle Kirby (Pick 50), Josh Daicos (57)
Rookies: Mitch McCarthy (Pick 7), Henry Schade (Pick 24), Liam Mackie (Pick 40), Max Lynch (Pick 51)
The Coach
NATHAN Buckley is the highest profile coach in the AFL at the highest profile club. He enters 2017 under immense scrutiny.
The Gun
SCOTT Pendlebury is one of the AFL's stars and undoubtedly Collingwood's marquee player.
Calming but fiercely competitive, nobody is more important to the team this year than the super consistent left-footer, who was involved in 34 per cent of scoring chains last year, the second best of all midfielders.
At 29, he remains a silky smooth mover and a captain who leads by example. What he needs is more help. Steele Sidebottom and Adam Treloar are more than solid sidekicks, but Pendlebury would significantly benefit from 12-15 others pulling their weight.
He rarely misses a target and was rated elite for score assists and intercept possessions last year.
Whatever perspective you come from and whichever team you support, Pendlebury is a genuine gun.
The Next Big Thing
CALLUM Brown — Collingwood's first of two father-son recruits on draft night, Brown has enjoyed a strong start to pre-season and seems a certainty to make his senior debut at some stage this season.
That could even come as early as Round 1.
An incredibly hard-nosed midfielder who loves to get in the thick of the action, Brown averaged 24.1 disposals per game throughout the TAC Cup last season.
Best 22
B: Lynden Dunn, Ben Reid, Brayden Maynard
HB: Travis Varcoe, Lachie Keeffe, Jeremy Howe
C: Steele Sidebottom, Scott Pendlebury, Daniel Wells
HF: James Aish, Chris Mayne, Jordan De Goey
F: Jamie Elliott, Darcy Moore, Alex Fasolo
FOLL: Brodie Grundy, Adam Treloar, Taylor Adams
I/C: Jarryd Blair, Jack Crisp, Levi Greenwood, Jesse White
EMG: Mason Cox, Will Hoskin-Elliott, Josh Smith
OTHERS: Tom Langdon, Adam Oxley, Tom Phillips, Matthew Scharenberg, Ben Sinclair, Tyson Goldsack, Tim Broomhead, Ben Crocker, Josh Daicos, Kayle Kirby, Sam McLarty, Jackson Ramsey, Henry Schade, Brayden Sier, Rupert Wills, Callum Brown
ROOKIES: Max Lynch, Liam Mackie, Mitch McCarthy, Josh Thomas
It's A Big Year For…
DANIEL Wells was given a three-year deal by Collingwood and looks highly likely to miss Round 1. If fit, he could be the difference between playing finals and missing out. In 2016, he was the best player in the competition at linking between the midfield and the forward line. Given the Pies' deficiencies in the latter, Wells' fitness is paramount. He simply must get on the park.
Supercoach Must Have
DUAL-POSITION SuperCoach ball magnets — and Collingwood has provided a beauty this season in the form of Taylor Adams. Categorised as a defender-midfielder this season, Adams is a must-have for your backline, as he's like to match — if not better — his 2016 average disposal count of 27.7. After averaging 97 SuperCoach points last year, Adams could well reach a triple-figure average in 2017.
Why Should It Be Your Second Club
THE generic football fan who doesn't go for Collingwood generally despises them. It's that 'us against them' mentality that the Magpies have harnessed so well in recent years.
But if they were to be your second club, you only need to take one look at gun midfielder Adam Treloar and forward Darcy Moore. Both are immensely talented players whose best is still in front of them.
Also, they play 14 games at the MCG this year, which isn't a bad place to watch football.
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