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Magpies bound for glory

Scott Pendlebury leads a list stacked with young talent, meaning it's finals or bust for the Pies in 2017. (AAP Image/Joe Castro)
Roar Pro
28th February, 2016
20

The finishing touches have been made to Collingwood’s list, and with the recruitment of midfield jet Taylor Adams and versatile swing man Jeremy Howe, the Magpies now have one of the AFL’s best squads.

Very much in the contenders category, the Magpies’ 2016 fate will be decided deep in September.

Using a formula similar to the mighty Hawthorn teams of recent years, the Magpies have been systematically adding people each year to help a core group of very good players developing at the club.

With experienced superstars Dane Swan, Scott Pendlebury and Travis Cloke now at the peak of their powers, Collingwood have three, maybe four, years to cash in.

Building a premiership-winning list is hard, and a lot of luck is involved. Getting your early draft picks right is essential, as this is usually how you acquire your superstars – those matchwinners you build your team around. Unearthing a couple of gems late in the draft or off your rookie list is another important part to building a good team.

A real bonus for some lucky clubs is the father-son rule, with Collingwood a big winner in this department with the acquisition of key forwards Travis Cloke and Darcy Moore.

If, after all this, you are lucky enough to be left with a core group of committed, talented players mixed with a couple of genuine superstars, you can fill the holes and build the depth of your list through the trade period and free agency. Some teams have gone ten years without getting this formula right and seem to be forever in the rebuilding phase, while others don’t fully commit to the process and are stuck in no man’s land, finishing between sixth and 12th every year.

All good teams are built around defence and Collingwood are solid in this area. Versatile big man Ben Reid is likely to move back to defence this season, a place he plays his best footy, and will form a good group of key defenders with Nathan Brown and Jack Frost. The Pies have plenty of options and versatility in the small and medium defender department, with the run of Tom Langdon, Marley Williams and Jackson Ramsey combining with the experience and dependability of Alan Toovey and Tyson Goldsack.

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Collingwood have one of the deepest midfields in the competition, and could run 15 or 16 different players through the middle of the ground at any given time this year. Scott Pendlebury, Dane Swan and Steele Sidebottom are three of the best midfielders in the AFL and provide the base of a formidable on-ball brigade.

Being one of the biggest clubs in the AFL, playing in front of massive crowds at the MCG every other week, the Magpies are an attractive prospect. They have taken full advantage of this over the last couple of years, with their midfield the main beneficiary as Taylor Adams, James Aish, Adam Trelor and Levi Greenwood have added class and depth. These players are not discards from other clubs picked on the hope they may become solid contributors, they are genuinely talented players who would be welcomed into any AFL club.

The days of the big power-forward kicking the majority of their team’s goals are long gone, replaced by the Hawthorn blueprint of a versatile and even spread of goalkickers. That said, having key forward colossus Travis Cloke is still a massive advantage, especially come finals time when the pressure goes up and a long kick into your forward line is the only option.

Collingwood have plenty of options and versatility in their forward line, with one of their biggest weapons being small forward Jamie Elliott, who has the confidence and swagger of LeBron James, and the game to back it up. Along with Elliott, the Magpies also have Jarryd Blair and Alex Fasolo in the small forward position. While neither are as good a mark as Elliott, both are capable of kicking goals when the ball hits the ground. Collingwood also have the luxury of some of their midfielders being capable goalkickers when resting forward, which will be important this year with the reduction of the interchange cap.

What becomes of the enigma that is Jesse White? Few players in the game have the size and athleticism White possess, but with Darcy Moore developing and the rapid improvement of Mason Cox and Corey Gault, this is a make-or-break year for the former Swan.

Credit has to go to coach Nathan Buckley, who has met the challenges and criticism he’s received head on. Buckley is a student of the game and when he talks about football he does so with passion, which inspires his players.

Imagining a grand final day with the mighty Magpies playing and Angry Anderson singing ‘Bound for Glory’ before the game is enough to bring a toothless smile to all Collingwood supporters.

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