The critics came for Collingwood, but this might be their biggest weapon

You can’t find a metric for this on the stat sheet, but you can see it in their ability to control tempo and momentum. It might be how their players pull back off the mark to give the game time to reset ahead, or how, when they spot they have their opponents outnumbered up forward, they flick the switch with speed and a running handball-receive.

This Collingwood side has been elite at closing games out over the past two or three seasons. But now, that same situational clarity is showing up across four quarters. They’re making the right decisions consistently – a skill that only comes with experience.

Forward line cohesion

Every player in Collingwood’s forward line is a threat. They work for each other. There’s chemistry, a sixth sense about the way they move together. Everyone knows their role and plays it. No one is chasing stats – they’re chasing moments.

The Pies’ tall forwards – Brody Mihocek, Dan McStay, Tim Membrey and Mason Cox – are all giving strong aerial contests, working in tandem. One offers a link-up, one provides depth.

And the key? Any one of them can kick two or three goals on a given day. There aren’t many forward lines where you can say that. It makes it difficult for opponents to decide who their best defender should go to.

Then there’s the smalls. The speed and pressure they bring is elite.

Take Bobby Hill’s rundown tackle on Dayne Zorko in the third quarter last week – textbook desperation. It led to a Nick Daicos goal and summed Collingwood’s intent. And when a Collingwood player gets the ball in a tough spot, they don’t blaze away. They centre it. It’s unselfish, smart footy.

Tough on the inside, polish on the outside

Yes, contested possession still matters, but our game has a new layer now – it’s about execution and efficiency. You need players who are not only tough inside but also clean and sharp on the outside.

Melbourne and Carlton are among the teams who’ve so far been great on the inside but lacked the polish to connect going forward. The Pies? They’re cutting teams up on turnover.

Their transitional offence hurts opponents who can’t reset quickly enough. They create chains through the corridor, knowing exactly where the numbers are. One kick or handball inside can open up the overlap, and suddenly, they have a wave of players surging forward. They have outscored opponents from that source in all five wins. It’s a key number that has a strong correlation to premiership success. The Magpies rank third now (+18.2 points).

Their clearance work and selfless set plays are all about getting each other free – constantly shifting the focus and keeping the opposition guessing. It makes it tough for rival midfields to lock in on a single threat because the danger can come from anyone at any moment – much like their forward line.

And that’s not just when they attack; the same workrate flows into Collingwood’s defence. When their defenders push high, they trap teams in, shrink the ground, and deny their opponents ball movement.

It’s why they’re dominating time in forward-half differential – winning that stat every week and ranking second in the competition overall.

Where teams fall down is when their lines lose connection – when their backs hold too deep under pressure and midfielders surge ahead. That leaves dangerous gaps. But the Pies? They’re staying connected. It’s why their turnover defence has been so strong. Their shape holds up. That’s structure. That’s system.

Defensive game

Experience matters here too. After conceding 104 points to GWS in the opening round, Collingwood have since restricted the Power, Dogs, Blues, Swans, and Lions – all finalists last season – to 78
points or fewer.

They kept Brisbane to their slowest ball-movement game since 2019 and just 37 inside 50s.

They’re playing the pressure and territory game, and it’s working. Early in the season, the Pies’ midfielders and wingers were getting sucked into the contest too often, leaving the outside exposed. But now they’re holding their width.

There’s a discipline to the way they structure around the contest – players hunting in numbers, but with purpose. They close off outlets while still supporting the inside heat.

Because they’re getting the balance right, they’re able to defend their own turnovers better, too.

They’re not taking risks that leave them vulnerable. That’s experience showing again.

The best part? It’s not just left to the defenders. Everyone’s committed to slowing the opposition down.

There’s trust – if one player presses, another will fill the gap behind. That kind of coverage takes organisation, awareness, and belief in the system.

And then you’ve got Darcy Cameron. The best intercepting ruckman in the comp right now, he’s averaging 2.6 intercept marks per game and consistently dropping into the hole to shut down long kicks. Massive.

You’ll often notice Collingwood’s off-ball small forwards pushing right up onto the opposite wing, creating a release for players such as Steele Sidebottom to slide back into the defensive 50m.

It gives the backline extra support while also setting up a clean outlet for transition after a turnover or intercept.

The Daicos factor

Nick Daicos is arguably the best player in the AFL at transitioning from inside a contest to outside. He’s tough to tag because he makes opposition teams pull apart their own structure to follow him. And he knows it.

He moves himself around – half-back, forward line, midfield – just to shift the magnets and pull defenders out of their comfort zones.

Whoever is on him must have body contact on him at all stoppages. He’ll get the ball – that’s a given – but the damage comes when he slices through the congestion and delivers with precision.

Then there’s his brother Josh.

He holds his width perfectly on the wing, becoming a key metres-gained player. By five minutes into the second quarter last week against the Lions, he had over 330 metres gained. That’s massive in a territory-based game.

The verdict

Collingwood are experienced, well-drilled and fully locked in on the way the game is evolving. Their list profile, once seen as a potential weakness, has become their point of difference. They’ve got the system, the structure, and the smarts.

Age won’t weary them. It might just carry them all the way again.

A day of meaning

There’s a deep sense of responsibility that comes with honouring the Anzac spirit. On Anzac Day, players aren’t just representing their club – they’re representing the fallen, their families, and every Australian who made sacrifices for the freedoms we enjoy today, including the joy of footy.

You can feel the emotion in the air during the pre-game ceremonies – shoulders squared, arms linked, eyes ahead—as the anthem rings out and the weight of history settles in.

This year, I sat down with my Nana over a quiet cup of tea to talk about her father—my great-grandfather – James Donald Kennedy. Hearing her memories reminded me how deeply
ANZAC Day echoes through Australian families. But it also left me wondering: how can the women’s game honour that legacy too?

Born in 1907, James was a talented young footballer who played for St Kilda in the 1920s. He had dreams, drive, and a passion for the game. But when World War II began, like so many others, his path changed. Though too old to be conscripted, he volunteered without hesitation.

He was first stationed in Darwin before boarding a troop train to Townsville, and then the SS Taroona to New Guinea. There, he served as a linesman on the front line – laying and repairing vital communication lines under fire. It was work that demanded immense bravery and resilience.

Hearing his story filled me with pride, but also a sense of connection. Anzac Day isn’t just about honouring names in history books; it’s about remembering the people we come from.

People like James Donald Kennedy, who didn’t seek glory, but stood up when it mattered most.

And it made me think—how powerful would it be to see AFLW players given the same opportunity to honour that legacy through the game? To remember not just the men who fought, but also the women whose roles are too often overlooked – those who were in direct combat, the nurses on the front lines, the workers who kept things going at home.

Of course, fitting a commemorative round like this into the AFLW calendar would be challenging. November 11– Remembrance Day – typically falls during the first week of finals. But as the game continues to grow, it’s a conversation worth having. Creating space for reflection, remembrance, and representation could be a meaningful step forward.

As the Last Post plays and silence falls today, I’ll be thinking of James Kennedy, and of all the men and women whose quiet strength and sacrifice helped shape this country. Their legacy lives on, not only in ceremonies and memorials, but in the stories we choose to keep telling.

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