Collingwood are in a unique situation at the moment, just four years ago they were a top four team and playing off in grand finals.
They had a young midfield that was set to dominate for the next six to seven years. But that hasn’t panned out.
Since Nathan Buckley took over the role as the head coach of the Pies, He has made it very clear what he thought of the side and what he wanted to put in place so they could have another chance at a premiership.
His harsh actions towards the ‘rat pack; led by Dane Swan, Dayne Beams, Ben Johnson and Heath Shaw was an eye opener. He wanted the culture of his football club to be changed. Now there is only one member from the original rat pack remaining – Dane Swan.
Last year the Pies had what many called a bad year as they finished outside the eight for the first time in a long time. Injuries didn’t help their cause but I don’t think they were as bad as many were making them out to be. They only hit hard at the end of Round 19 and their season was nearly over by then after suffering an embarrasing loss to the Lions.
Collingwood made some big moves in the off season, trading Dayne Beams for picks 5 and 25 and Jack Crisp. There is a future upside there but it won’t help them immediately. They also secured speedster Travis Varcoe and ball magnet Levi Greenwood, which will help their cause.
The area I see the Pies struggling in is attack. They have Travis Cloke, who hasn’t had a great run lately, and an inconsistent Jamie Elliott. They need one of their other big guys to stand up, and an injury-free run from Ben Reid would benefit them hugely.
Collingwood have one of the best midfields going around at its best, with Scott Pendlebury, Swan, Steele Sidebottom and Greenwood pushing through there. But the biggest issue is their ruck stocks. they have two inexperienced guys trying to hold down ruck spots all season which I think is unrealistic.
Finishing position: if everything goes right eighth, and if things go wrong 11th to 14th.
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