The Roar: Collingwood 2020 Season Preview

The Roar - Cameron Rose

AFL 2020 Round 1 COLLINGWOOD v FOOTSCRAY Time & Place: Friday March 20, 7:50pm EDT Docklands TV: 7mate 7:30pm Fox Footy 7:30pm Weather: Min 15 Max 22 Chance of rain: 30% <1mm Wind: W 21kph Betting: Collingwood $1.75 Footscray $2.08

The Pies were one errant Dom Sheed kick from winning a flag in 2018, and a Taylor Adams snap that just needed to be a few centimetres straighter from a grand final last season.

Things didn’t fall their way at the end in either of those matches, but on both occasions they were five goals down earlier in the game so only have themselves to blame.

What is in store for the Magpies in 2020, after almost going under the radar in the lead-up?

Collingwood’s best 25
B: John Noble, Jordan Roughead, Brayden Maynard
HB: Jeremy Howe, Darcy Moore, Jack Crisp
Foll: Brodie Grundy, Scott Pendlebury, Taylor Adams
C: Steele Sidebottom, Adam Treloar, Tom Phillips
HF: Josh Thomas, Brody Mihocek, Jordan de Goey
F: Jaidyn Stephenson, Mason Cox, Jamie Elliott
Int: Chris Mayne, Will Hoskin-Elliott, Callum Brown, Travis Varcoe
Em: Darcy Cameron, Ben Reid, Brayden Sier

Out of the club go Tyson Goldsack and Daniel Wells to retirement, while James Aish and Ben Crocker have ended up elsewhere in the AFL.

Alongside some draftees, Darcy Cameron crosses from Sydney as a back-up to Brodie Grundy and to put pressure on Mason Cox’s spot.

While the Pies were defensively sound in 2019, ranking second, they never really got their offensive game going, rating only seventh in attack.

Mason Cox couldn’t build on his 2018 preliminary final heroics, Jordan de Goey was injured and didn’t have the same impact, Josh Thomas and Will Hoskin-Elliott dropped away and of course, Jaidyn Stephenson was suspended for ten matches for placing three bets on his own side.

Jamie Elliott returned to the forward line with a measure of success, and Brody Mihocek stepped up to lead the attack, but overall that part of the ground never gelled. There is enough talent there for it to, but quite a few players are prone to injury and form fluctuations, which makes continuity hard.

The Pies have an engine room that keeps them in all games and wins them many. Brodie Grundy could well be the ruckman of the century by the time he finishes, Scott Pendlebury still makes admirers go weak at the knees, Adam Treloar is prolific and Taylor Adams is the footballer’s footballer while Steele Sidebottom and Tom Phillips patrol the wings.

Scott Pendlebury
Photo by Dylan Burns/AFL Photos via Getty Images

Down back, Darcy Moore is looking to take another step after a strong 2019, while Jeremy Howe is one of the best interceptors in the game. Jordan Roughead provides great value as a key back, and Brayden Maynard is as tough as old boots. Jack Crisp is ever the professional through mid and defence.

Collingwood lacks some star power at either end of the ground when compared to the likes of Richmond, GWS and West Coast, but they work an effective game plan that is a modification on what the Tigers do.

If the Pies midfield can peak leading into September and the forward line can click at the right time of year, they can kick off the 2020s the way they did the 2010s.

Predicted finish: fourth.

Predicted ladder
1. West Coast
2. GWS
3. Richmond
4. Collingwood
5. Western Bulldogs
6. Brisbane
7. Hawthorn
8. Geelong
9. North Melbourne
10. St Kilda
11. Port Adelaide
12. Essendon
13. Melbourne
14. Carlton
15. Sydney
16. Adelaide
17. Fremantle
18. Gold Coast