The List Manager: Jon Ralph examines Collingwood’s current list, its future and everything in between
The Pies are all about the here and now, but how long can they last before the bottom falls out? JON RALPH examines their list status and their place in the AFL hierarchy in 2025.
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Let’s go glass half full on Collingwood.
In a season where everything went wrong and the easiest option was to quit, the Pies twice found a way to fight back hard.
After an 0-3 start as the Pies tried and totally failed to blow rivals away with a corridor-based game plan that just didn’t work, they got back to an 8-4 win loss record with a pair of draws.
Then after they were decimated with injury to the likes of Jordan De Goey, Brody Mihocek, Jamie Elliott and Tom Mitchell they snapped a four-game losing streak by winning four of the final five games.
So even in a season that constituted a failure given the inability to defend the 2023 premiership, the Pies found a way to eke out a 12-win, two-draw season.
Yes, they will be positively ancient next year from a list profile perspective.
But if even their bad years are 12-win seasons, here is the hard sell.
If they can get fit, realign their game plan and secure some improvement from players who had below par seasons, they should be a flag contender again.
Consider the list of players who will believe they can significantly improve their output in 2025.
Isaac Quaynor (who battled toe and form issues), Dan McStay (back from an ACL with a full pre-season), Darcy Moore (only tenth in the best-and-fairest), Bobby Hill (just 30 goals from 23 games).
So too De Goey (off groin and hamstring tendon concerns), Lachie Schultz (24 goals in 20 games) and Mitchell (just six 2024 games).
Add in dual All Australian Dan Houston and jack of all trades Harry Perryman, and the case is easy to build that the club will be a finals force.
The separate question over whether they have sold the farm for short-term gains is absolutely valid.
And the list of potential elite players under 25 apart from Nick Daicos seems paper thin.
Yet don’t discount Collingwood in the logjam of AFL teams capable of winning the 2025 premiership.
TRADE PERIOD RATING: 6
Collingwood secured a major upgrade to its half back position (Houston from John Noble), brought in a handy free agent in Perryman, and added Tim Membrey as a late delisted free agent.
No one quibbles with the moves, it is just what they cost the Pies in draft picks and salary cap.
In the end Houston cost next year’s first-rounder and this year’s pick 36 as well as Noble on a six-year deal just short of $900,000.
GWS flanker Perryman came without the sacrifice of a pick but he too is on a deal that doesn’t get much change out of $900,000 a year.
Houston is as advertised — a back-to-back All Australian who will advance Craig McRae’s cause of electric ball movement off half back.
Perryman had what can only be characterised as another solid year — eighth in the GWS best-and-fairest, an average of 18 possessions, 328 metres gained a game.
But he rated below average for kicking and will need to improve on that facet of his game given it is seen as his best attribute.
He will get chances in the midfield and his best is very good.
Not great, but much more than passable.
It is up to McRae and his coaches to turn him from solid into spectacular.
Membrey is a smart low-downside buy — a two-year deal, a noted goalkicker, another solid option alongside Mihocek, Mason Cox and McStay given Ash Johnson and Reef McInness haven’t emerged as the options Collingwood hoped they might be.
LIST HOLES
Collingwood is aware it needs to find a lockdown full back to replace the irreplaceable Nathan Murphy.
With that in mind, Reef McInnes will train over summer in defence to give him the chance to compete alongside Charlie Dean and Billy Frampton as a full back.
If the Pies can find that player the backline clicks — Howe and Moore as interceptors, Perryman and Houston as rebounders, Quaynor and Brayden Maynard as mid-sizers.
Last year the injuries and thin midfield resulted in the likes of Lachie Sullivan, Ned Long and Jack Bytel being given opportunities.
But the Pies will hope Mitchell and De Goey return to full fitness after wretched runs.
And will have confidence the kids come on in last year’s first-round pick Harry DeMattia (who battled a finger tendon injury last year) and the last-round revelation Ed Allan.
He did everything in that clash against Melbourne — 21 touches, six tackles, a goal, 10 contested possessions.
Allan is a pick 19 and DeMattia a pick 25, so there is no reason why they can’t be ten-year players in the Pies midfield.
Beau McCreery will get his midfield time and the veterans (Steele Sidebottom, Scott Pendlebury, Jack Crisp) might play forever.
Up forward Dan McStay’s full-time return will be invaluable given he averaged 1.6 contested marks and 1.6 goals a game in his five games back from an ACL tear.
He and Mihocek (ruptured pec) didn’t play a single game together in 2024, while ex-Saint Membrey is only 30 and has seven 30-plus goals seasons.
So if that trio can play 50-plus games combined it allows Bobby Hill, Schultz, Elliott, Pat Lipinski and Will Hoskin-Elliott better looks and superior match-ups.
Ed Allan looked the part on Friday night!
— Collingwood FC (@CollingwoodFC) August 25, 2024
He finished with 21 disposals and his first goal at AFL level 👠pic.twitter.com/fBe8QpHw7d
DRAFT PLANS
Collingwood has picks 52, 55, 60, 66, 82 and has five total list spots but will hold open rookie selections for Oleg Markov and Ash Johnson.
So the Pies will ideally take three draft selections if the talent is there late in the draft or if its draft board is empty it could hold over a pick for the summer rookie period.
Having secured Membrey it has officially moved on from ex-Demons defender Adam Tomlinson, who still needs to find a new home.
There is no getting around the fact since taking Nick Daicos in the 2021 national draft and trading out that future pick (it could have also taken Finn Callaghan) it will have gone four years without a top ten pick given it doesn’t have a future first-rounder.
But players want to come to Collingwood — as free agents and in trades.
So while everyone knows the Pies are old, there are so many more list mechanisms to replenish talent than a decade ago.
Mick McGuane’s son Tom is a likely type as a 2025 free agent but not yet considered a likely top-10 pick.
At this stage he might be a late first-rounder so if he moves up the charts the Pies will have to bring a 2026 selection forward to match a bid for him.
PREMIERSHIP WINDOW
When Nick Daicos is in Collingwood colours this side is capable of (almost) anything.
But the open watch will be durability issues for the golden oldies, with Sidebottom in a form slump early last year before finding his mojo as a midfielder.
Pendlebury played with rib issue in many games last year so just lock it in — he will break the AFL games record.
There was only one last dance and it involved Michael Jordan.
But there is the feeling that this current group involving Sidebottom, Howe, Moore, Pendlebury and Mitchell only has one more shot in the locker.
He took what could end up being Mark of the Year 🙌ðŸ‰
— Collingwood FC (@CollingwoodFC) June 18, 2024
👂Hear what five different commentary teams had to say when Bobby Hill went up for THAT mark! pic.twitter.com/edtS90VcXH
SALARY CAP ROOM
Collingwood has used up some of its cap space but still has room to move next year if a quality target emerges.
It would need to be through free agency given the lack of quality picks but the Pies have Nick Daicos locked away long-term.
It is in early talks with Bobby Hill to re-sign past 2026 and has Brayden Maynard as an unrestricted free agent who it hopes will not get crazy offers elsewhere after the Roos sniffed around him in the trade period.
TRADE TARGETS
Having gone so hard in this year’s trade period the Pies will likely bunker down even though they would love a generational key forward with Mihocek 32 in February.
Clubs are looking with interest at the Oscar Allan negotiations, wondering if the Eagles are prepared to offer him a long-term deal given his ongoing knee issues.
It’s a watch this space negotiation.
TRADE BAIT
Not too many issues for the Pies.
Those out of contract include Finlay Macrae, Mitchell, Cox, Maynard, Hill, Frampton and Harvey Harrison.
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Originally published as The List Manager: Jon Ralph examines Collingwood’s current list, its future and everything in between
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