There’s no ceiling on what Collingwood superstar Nick Daicos can achieve this year. Photo: AAP

COLLINGWOOD
2024 record: 12 wins, 9 losses, 2 draws (9th)

THE INS
Dan Houston (Port Adelaide), Tim Membrey (St Kilda), Harry Perryman (GWS), Joel Cochran (UNSW-Eastern Suburbs), Charlie West (Woodville-West Torrens), Will Hayes (Claremont)

THE OUTS
Nathan Murphy (retired), John Noble (Gold Coast), Joe Richards (Port Adelaide), Jack Bytel (delisted), Josh Carmichael (retired), Nathan Kreuger (delisted), Aiden Begg (delisted), Josh Eyre (delisted)

THE STRENGTHS
As long as you’ve got a bloke by the name of Nick Daicos running around, you’re almost always going to be challenging for a finals spot, and this year should be no exception for the Magpies. Few players in league history have produced a more impressive first three years than Daicos. A knee injury probably robbed him of a Brownlow in his second season, and last year he broke the votes record (38), but unluckily for him, so did Carlton skipper Patrick Cripps (45). At just 22, Daicos is already one of the best players in the competition, and last season dispelled the myth that he only likes an easy ball on the outside as he led his club for both contested possessions and clearances by considerable margins. He was third and sixth in those categories respectively in the league. Daicos forms one part of a pretty strong midfield nucleus that also consists of Scott Pendlebury, Jordan De Goey, Josh Daicos, Jack Crisp and Steele Sidebottom, as well as Darcy Cameron who has become one of the best ruckmen in the competition. Throw in the likes of Jeremy Howe, Darcy Moore, Brayden Maynard, Isaac Quaynor, Beau McCreery, Daniel McStay, Jamie Elliott, Brody Mihocek and Bobby Hill, and the Magpies still have the makings of a formidable line-up on paper. They recruited really well in the off-season too with dual All-Australian Dan Houston crossing from Port Adelaide, gun defender Harry Perryman arriving from GWS and St Kilda goalkicker Tim Membrey joining too. The Magpies were the No.1 tackling team in the AFL last year, so their intent and attack on the man couldn’t be questioned, but it also probably meant that their opposition were getting too much of the ball, meaning Collingwood found itself needing to chase too often.

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THE WEAKNESSES
The Magpies made a mediocre defence of their premiership last year, failing to make the finals, and when you’ve got the ninth-best attack and sixth-worst defence, qualifying for the top eight is always going to be an uphill battle. After earning the title of kings of the close ones in Craig McRae’s first two years in charge, they only won 55 per cent of games decided by 12 points or less last season (6-3-2) as they lost that aura of invincibility that they could come back from anywhere, especially in a four-game block towards the end of the year that saw them lose to Gold Coast, Essendon, Geelong and, most significantly, Hawthorn (by 11 goals) in consecutive matches. Put simply, Collingwood has to get its hands on the ball more often, as they ranked 16th and 17th for disposals and marks respectively last year. Only stragglers Richmond and West Coast were placed lower than the Magpies for touches. Collingwood was also 10th for contested marks and ninth for marks inside 50, and will be hoping that fit-again McStay and Membrey will provide more support for the likes of Cameron and Hill in both of those departments. But getting it into the forward line regularly is a must if those categories are to improve, and last year the Pies were let down largely by their star-studded midfield who could only assist in ensuring their team finished 2024 in 12th place for inside 50s, after coming in 12th and eighth respectively for contested possessions and clearances. Granted, Collingwood had to play with a makeshift forward line for large parts of last season as they were hammered by injuries in that part of the ground. McStay (18 games), Mihocek (12), De Goey (10), Elliott (eight), Mason Cox (seven) and McCreery (six) all missed big chunks, while star midfielder Tom Mitchell (17) also spent significant time on the sidelines. Meanwhile, this is not necessarily a weakness, but with 10 players aged 30 or over, and another two hitting that milestone during the season, Collingwood has not only by far the oldest list in the competition, with an average age (26.4) a whole year older than second-ranked Brisbane (25.4), but is also comfortably the most experienced team with an average of 102 games per player – 16 clear of the Lions on 86. Now, that could very well be the thing that drives them deep into September this year, but it’s certainly a risky list strategy after missing the finals last season.

ONE TO WATCH
It’s hard to go past Nick Daicos. The phenom has been terribly unlucky to miss out on Brownlow glory the last two years, and that could be an additional motivating factor for him to reach even greater heights in 2025. As good as he’s already been, he remains on an upward trajectory and still probably hasn’t reached his full potential yet. For the second year in a row last season he averaged 31 disposals and four tackles, but crucially also enjoyed outright career-best averages in contested possessions (14), clearances (eight), score involvements (seven), inside 50s (six) and centre clearances (three). The sky is the limit.

UNDER THE PUMP
After four underwhelming seasons, former first-round pick Fin Macrae enters the final year of his contract under considerable pressure. Having managed only 21 games to date, albeit at a club that’s been contending for premierships, he has no option but to produce a breakout year in 2025. If he doesn’t carve out a niche for himself in the side regularly, then he’ll struggle to stay on the list next year.

BEST 23
B: Jeremy Howe, Darcy Moore, Brayden Maynard
HB: Dan Houston, Billy Frampton, Isaac Quaynor
C: Josh Daicos, Scott Pendlebury, Jack Crisp
HF: Beau McCreery, Daniel McStay, Jamie Elliott
F: Brody Mihocek, Tim Membrey, Bobby Hill
R: Darcy Cameron, Nick Daicos, Jordan De Goey
Inter: Steele Sidebottom, Harry Perryman, Mason Cox, Patrick Lipinski, Lachie Schultz
Emerg: Tom Mitchell, Will Hoskin-Elliott, Wil Parker

Houston slots straight onto a half-back flank, and the forward line already looks more straightened up with McStay and Membrey featuring. Mitchell will hopefully eventually return to the side after an injury-ravaged 2024, but he is currently recovering from a bone stress injury and will no doubt be eased in when he’s ready.

*all team stat rankings mentioned are based on differentials, not totals (apart from overall offence and defence).