Tough calls needed: Good Old Collingwood has seemed more old than good

2 weeks ago 11

Steele Sidebottom touched the shot 7 times connected Anzac Day. Tom Mitchell had the footy 19 times, but was subbed out, arsenic the Collingwood midfielders had their clocks cleaned astatine the centre bounces.

The kid who replaced Mitchell, Harvey Harrison, exceeded Sidebottom’s output successful conscionable 1 quarter, garnering 7 disposals and booting a important goal. What Harrison besides brought was a trait that Essendon had successful greater abundance than the highly nonrecreational Pies: energy.

Collingwood’s play started terribly to beryllium 0-3, recovered successful the adjacent 3 games and past reached a stalemate, successful each sense, connected Anzac Day.

Only 5 days earlier, the punditry had proclaimed “here they come” pursuing a ballistic Collingwood show against Port Adelaide that reprised their champion of 2023.

Collingwood’s lone dual premiership players since the 1950s.

The Collingwood midfield looked much formidable than Essendon’s, having collectively overwhelmed Port’s super-talented trio of Zak Butters, Connor Rozee and Jason Horne-Francis the erstwhile weekend. Mitchell excelled against Port, arsenic did Jordan De Goey, Nick Daicos and ruckman Darcy Cameron, who is 1 of fewer Magpies to person improved successful 2024.

But the Bombers smashed Collingwood astatine the centre bounces, wherever Jake Stringer eclipsed De Goey successful a conflict of once-were-wayward match-winners portion Zach Merrett played astatine his customary precocious modular and Darcy Parish regained touch.

It is hard to triumph immoderate crippled erstwhile the centre clearances are 8-19. Collingwood did good to flight with a gully fixed that landslide.

What was the quality betwixt the squad that performed similar the 2023 premiers and the 1 that couldn’t get past the Bombers, a squad that the Pies dismembered successful the last home-and-away crippled of past year?

There’s a scope of reasons – and Essendon’s indomitable tone is surely one. But if you judge Occam’s Razor – the mentation that’s staring america successful the look – past the reply appears that immoderate Collingwood veterans recovered it harder to support their rage connected a five-day break, compared with younger Bomber counterparts.

“What youngster Harvey Harrison besides brought was a trait that Essendon had successful greater abundance than the highly nonrecreational Pies: energy.”

Jake Niall

Collingwood’s unit standing was importantly higher for the lower-profile Port crippled than for “the biggest home-and-away game” juncture earlier a nationalist assemblage of 2 million.

Sidebottom is 1 of Collingwood’s astir stellar servants – helium and Scott Pendlebury person worn the fabled jumper much than immoderate different Magpies, and they’re the club’s lone dual premiership players since the 1950s. Sidebottom’s startling expansive last extremity from 55 metres entered folklore the infinitesimal it sailed through.

Sidebottom, similar Mitchell, couldn’t emergence again aft the Port game. His productivity is good down connected the erstwhile 3 years, erstwhile helium had a 2nd upwind aft seeming to beryllium connected the downswing successful the archetypal COVID-19 twelvemonth (when helium was suspended for breaching COVID protocols).

“Managed” and fixed a week’s interruption aft a mediocre crippled against St Kilda and past handed the sub’s vest against the Hawks, the Collingwood large is averaging less than 15 disposals and conscionable 2.8 people involvements.

Mitchell, outstanding successful the expansive last and a cornerstone of Collingwood’s improved clearance enactment past year, is down connected each cardinal measurement – disposals, clearances, people involvements, contested balls (just) – barroom tackling, successful which he’s averaged an fantabulous 6.7 this year.

The constituent is that Collingwood’s play – and whether they contend astatine each – volition beryllium heavy influenced by their absorption of veterans. The relation exemplary is Geelong of 2022, which kept Joel Selwood, Patrick Dangerfield, Tom Hawkins, Isaac Smith and institution caller capable for agelong capable (the Pies did little resting successful 2023).

Craig McRae’s outrageous occurrence has been predicated connected his affirmative man-management and approach, which includes a crippled program that strikes a equilibrium betwixt risk-taking and pragmatic retreat.

Collingwood’s ample assemblage of veterans – headed by on-field manager Pendlebury – has been an tremendous plus for the manager successful “managing the moments” successful galore choky finishes.

This year, however, Good Old Collingwood has seemed much aged than good.

The usage of veterans arsenic sub is simply a pointer to what the Magpies request to bash if they are to play finals and earnestly vie for the flag. I bash not accidental “defend their title” due to the fact that the full conception of a “premiership defence” is simply a nonsense successful the AFL competition, which isn’t a boxing belt.

In selection, McRae has understandably stuck with the proven campaigners who brought location the bacon. On Anzac Day, the substitution of Mitchell for Harrison was a awesome of a bushed squad that sorely needed the invigoration of faster and fresher young legs.

In the coming weeks, the manager volition person to “manage” precise elder players specified arsenic Sidebottom, Mitchell, Jeremy Howe, Jamie Elliott, and perchance adjacent the indestructible Jack Crisp and robust Brody Mihocek.

The Magpies, clearly, person a database absorption situation successful handling the exodus of their 9 veterans aged 30-plus implicit the adjacent 2 to 3 post-seasons. Obviously, arsenic with immoderate large project, this retiring of veterans volition beryllium successful phases.

One would ideate a fewer bully men volition beryllium shuffled disconnected aft 2024, with much encouraged to decorativeness pursuing 2025 and past 2026. Collingwood’s vaunted four-plus cardinal dollars successful aboriginal wage headdress country is babelike connected those exits.

To immoderate extent, those decisions marque themselves. The much contiguous task for McRae and his coaches is to grip the older players successful a mode that maximises show successful 2024 and besides begins the task of transitioning to 2025 and beyond.

This could good mean giving Sidebottom regular weeks off. Ditto for Mitchell, Howe, Elliott, Mihocek and Mason Cox. Crisp, underwhelming this year, has been utilized arsenic sub erstwhile (v Brisbane) successfully. His games streak should not interfere with squad imperatives, either. At 36, Pendlebury, too, volition request breaks, adjacent if his famed quality to halt clip besides applies to his defiance of footy’s beingness cycle.

McRae mightiness not person capable young endowment underneath to beryllium assured successful letting the aged defender beryllium down. The younker is mostly untested and scarcer than astatine astir clubs. But what prime does the manager have? Without that infusion of velocity and enthusiasm - and respite for elder citizens - it is hard to spot the Fly’s Pies flying.

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