One win short of a premiership last year, Collingwood skipper Nick Maxwell is confident the Magpies have found the hunger to make AFL amends in 2012.
Collingwood’s hopes of back-to-back flags were snuffed out by Geelong in last year’s grand final.
And Maxwell, re-confirmed as 2012 skipper on Friday, is confident that despite several important changes at the club – most notably new coach Nathan Buckley – the players are focused more than ever on further success.
“There’s more hunger. Looking around, from what happened last year … the way they came back and the amount of guys we’ve had doing PBs,” Maxwell said of the Magpies’ pre-season so far.
“When we were in Arizona (at a training camp), you’d walk past the gym at eight or 10 at night and there’d be at least half a dozen guys in there doing extra training they are not supposed to be doing.
“Quite often, the coaches would have to pull them back, which is a great sign.”
The Magpies have lost experienced duo Leigh Brown and Leon Davis from last season, and are looking to several younger faces to step up in their absence.
Maxwell said tapping into a player group which will grow in experience was part of the reason for three new faces – including Heath Shaw after being forgiven his role in a betting scandal last season – in Collingwood’s seven-man leadership group.
Brownlow Medallist Dane Swan and 30-year-old ruckman Darren Jolly were not among those voted into the leadership group by their peers.
“The time came for us to bring some youth through,” Maxwell said.
“Swanny and Jolls stepped down and will take more of a leadership role in the background.
“You’d expect them to keep being leaders around the club.”
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