Whether you love their larrikinism or you think many Collingwood supporters keep Centrelink lines too long, one thing is certain – Collingwood supporters make thi AFL special.
In 2014 they’re confronted with a list has been heavily turned over, with the rat pack dissolved and a new skipper in place. After some changes, Nathan Buckley looks to have his hands firmly on the wheel.
Whether Buckley has the players on side will be of interest. Mick Malthouse was a grey-haired father figure; Buckley seemed like a weird uncle last season.
But what he does have is an army of youth for the future. Jamie Elliott, Josh Thomas, Paul Seedsman, Marley Williams (pending), Taylor Adams, Ben Kennedy, Brodie Grundy and Alex Fasolo are all under 22 and about to gain some valuable experience under Uncle Nathan.
They are the 13th-youngest list in the league and the future bodes well for Pies fans, but what about now?
When they won the premiership in 2010, the back six were one of the most recognisably stable defences in the comp. The Malthouse-coached side were the rock of Gibraltar.
Now, their defence seems shaky.
Lachie Keeffe is impressive but hasn’t really proven himself yet. Nathan Brown and Nick Maxwell are great at mitigating opponents but lack offensive punch, while Heritier Lumumba is pushing further up the field.
Heath Shaw and Marley Williams were the club’s leading bouncers last season and their run will be sorely missed from defence.
Can Alan Toovey come back from his knee reconstruction? Will Williams (Buckley’s go-to small defender) play again?
How much will they miss Heath Shaw or will they at all?
The question Collingwood fans need answered is this: If Ben Reid has a heartbeat and is wearing a Collingwood jumper, does he play forward or back?
The forward argument is, he ranked first of any forward in one-on-ones in the competition with multiple goal games. Not only is he dangerous inside 50, he also relieves Travis Cloke and makes them not so one-dimensional going forward.
Down back he will stabilise that shaky defence. Cloning Ben Reid seems unrealistic, although Eddie McGuire has been known to trial the radical.
One man who will be up forward is Jessie White. The Sydney recruit will add a secondary option to Cloke, who will benefit from the former Swan’s presence.
If White blossoms, does Reid stay back? Or can a triple-tall forward line work for the Pies?
One thing this will do is relegate Quentin Lynch to just an insurance policy for injury.
The midfield is elite. In 2013, they had the most disposals of any midfield in the competition and had a plethora of goal kickers.
Dane Swan, Steele Sidebottom, Scott Pendlebury, Sam Dwyer and Jarryd Blair all had goals in the double figures by the end of the season.
Add in Dayne Beams, Luke Ball and GWS recruit Taylor Adams, and the cream on the Collingwood midfield looks very sweet.
Brodie Grundy could be anything and he will give the midfielders first use of the ball where they were last in hitouts and 15th in clearances last season.
Looking at the fixture I can only pencil in a handful of wins in the first half of the season and inexperience may see them leave their run too late.
The Magpies have a brutal draw and waiting for the kids to come on may leave too little to too few.
It will definitely only come down to percentage – any missed goal could be crucial.
If Travis Cloke kicks straight, do Collingwood make the 8? Cloke had 119 shots last season and only converted 68 of them, so percentage is vital.
They’ll be in the mix and their future looks bright, but I’m just not sure about this year – the most open season in recent memory.
A lot will be riding on whether Uncle Nathan can turn himself into a father figure and if he does, you know the larrikins will be laughing loudest in the Centrelink lines.
If you’re looking for me I’ll be underground hiding (from Pies fans) for a while…
Lad-View: 9th
Individual Predictions
Best and Fairest: Dane Swan
Goal Kicking Award: Travis Cloke (though I’m not saying that percentage will rise)
In The Hot Seat for 2014: Nick Maxwell, Quentin Lynch
Player You Need to Watch: Ben Kennedy
Things Most Looking Forwad to Seeing in 2014: Collingwood versus Carlton
Novelty Blog Award: Don’t hate me Collingwood fans, I called you special!
Steven
Guest
Collingwood will finish top 4 this year. Buckley said that we are contending this year why would you say that if when you are te coah of 80,000 members so if you fail they want your head. They have the best midfield in the comp the best forward in the league pies will be a very good team this year and years to come.
watergate
Guest
Pies likely to finish 10th or thereabouts during 2014, with their final series aspirations extinguished by mid season and the knives out for Buckley and his patron.
Macca
Guest
Could be worse than that looking at that draw. Collingwood's season is heavily reliant on one of Lynch or White standing up to play the second forward role - without that Reid has to go forward which exposes their backline where Keefe is already under pressure and the loss of Shaw and the the exposure of Maxwell could cause problems. On top of that their ruck position is very brittle with Grundy being asked to do an enormous amount with only battlers as support. While the 4th to 12th positions are a real raffle the Pies are ones I would expect to slip out with North, Adelaide, West Coast & Carlton pushing to get in.
Steve J
Roar Guru
Brutal opening 8 rounds for the Pies - Dockers, Swans, Tigers, Cats, Roos, Bombers, Blues and Crows. By the time round 9 rolls around they could be 2-6, and history shows there is rarely a way back from there. Friday night at the unfamiliar Etihad against a coach who loves that ground is a tough test for the Pies, especially without Jolly to match up against Sandilands. Can't wait!
ciudadmarron
Guest
He's more like an estranged much older brother.
martin
Guest
5th or 6th finish for the PIES..
Shmick
Guest
I'm pretty sure that age stat is backward. Collingwood has one of the youngest lists in the comp and has the best age:experience ratio. Should finish anywhere 4th-7th.
Garth Jones
Roar Rookie
By 13th youngest list in the AFL, do you also mean 6th oldest?
andyincanberra
Guest
With regard to who will fill Marley Williams' spot. I'd say Marty Clarke will be getting some senior football this year that he may not otherwise have expected to.
Ian Whitchurch
Guest
Nahh, its the other way around - fans of any team always over-rate that team. 5-10 is about right for the Pies this year.
Gecko
Guest
There should be a law against non-Pies fans giving previews of the Pies. But Clayton you're right to express concern about the youthfulness of the Pies, the fact that they're still adapting to Uncle Nathan (actually 'uncle' doesn't seem the right word), and the tough draw. One can sense a slump coming at some stage in the season, costing the Pies a top 4 spot.
Knoxy
Guest
I expect us to finish around 6th to 8th. As long as the younger players continue to develop and show promise I'll be happy. A finals win would be a bonus.
Slane
Guest
I'll be surprised if they miss the 8 but they definitely look less formidable these days.
Cat
Roar Guru
Pies are one of those teams that are less than the sum of their parts. They've plenty of stars but I reckon Buckley will continue to hold them back and make them less then they could be.
Richard
Roar Guru
Well written Clayton. When so many fundamental changes are made, initial uncertainty is the inevitable result. However, I remember back in 2010, there were a large number of established 'Pies stars suddenly languishing in the VFL because the new kids on the block were suddenly doing so well. That team went on to take the season by storm. Fantastic stuff. And all through 2010 pundits were arguing about whether the 'Pies were the 'real deal'. Could be a repeat? We'll know soon enough