AFL Round 6 Collingwood v Essendon: Nick Daicos wins Anzac Day Medal
After just 31 games, Nick Daicos is a Brownlow Medal favourite. His legendary father Peter also had a fast start to his career, but how do they compare? Have your say.
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It might seem almost sacrilegious to suggest it, but after yet another Nick Daicos masterclass – and another successful Collingwood ‘Houdini’ escape from footy’s equivalent of the manacles – Magpies fans are starting to wonder if the son’s first 31 AFL games might be even better than his dad’s.
For those who saw Nick’s dad Peter transform from sublime young talent to one of the Magpies’ greatest and most-loved players of all-time, they would normally sit back and say ‘wash your mouth out with soap’ to anyone suggesting as much.
Not anymore.
And the man himself, Peter, says there is no comparison.
Before the second biggest home and away crowd in the game’s history, the greatest Anzac Day crowd since the inaugural Collingwood-Essendon match in 1995, and perhaps the biggest MCG roar since the pandemic, the Magpies stormed home from a 28-point three-quarter-time deficit to steamroll a brave but gassed Essendon by 13 points.
The trademark comeback was fuelled by two last-term goals to Daicos and a trademark never-say-die approach from Craig McRae’s Magpies who are seemingly never out of a contest.
Daicos’ 40 disposals and his late goals guaranteed him the Anzac Medal and would likely have pocketed another three Brownlow Medal votes.
Off the back of another extraordinary performance, the 20-year-old has firmed into outright $3 Brownlow favourite, and the Pies are equal flag favourites ($5).
Asked about his son’s stellar start to his AFL career and whether Nick’s achievements in his first 31 games outranked his own, Peter Daicos was emphatic.
“For sure, they were different eras, but his (first 31 games) have been better … way better,” Peter Daicos said in the jubilant Collingwood rooms.
“I’m proud of both the boys (Nick and Josh, who had 30 disposals). To play the way they did on a day like today (Anzac Day), and the way they did it at the end, is so good.”
It’s almost impossible to compare players and eras, especially given Peter played mid and forward of centre early in his career and Nick has been half-back and through the midfield before going forward late on Tuesday.
In Peter’s first 31 games, he collectively had 538 disposals and kicked 45 goals, including three successive bags of six in the first three rounds of the 1981 season, his third senior season.
He would go on to become one of Collingwood’s most revered players, playing 250 games and kicking 549 goals, including a brilliant 97 in the club’s premiership-winning 1990 season.
Nick has been playing a very different role to the one his dad started with, but in his first 31 games, he has had 864 disposals (including back-to-back 40-plus touches) and kicked 13 goals.
He still has a long way to go to have the lasting impact his superstar dad had in black and white, but he is on his way.
Nick revealed after the game a chat with his father during the week – after Peter had noticed he had been a “bit grumpy” – had sharpened his focus.
“During the week dad actually grabbed me for a chat, which was really nice. He said as long as you are pleasing yourself, and the club, they are the only two things you need to focus on,” he said.
“I am standing in front of you today with this award because of him.”
McRae said Daicos had handled the extra attention he has received this year because he wasn’t afraid to put in the hard work.
“I am a Nick fan. He has been enormous for us,” McRae said. “He just works so hard. He just gets back to work … he is the first to watch the tapes and do the extras on his game.”
Daicos played down the significance of his own performance, saying Collingwood’s belief in its ability to extricate itself from trouble is as powerful as the Magpie Army who chanted at almost record-decibel levels on Tuesday.
“I guess I played a bit of a forward role (in the last quarter) with a bit of centre bounce, it was just good to get involved,” Nick said.
“The boys out in the middle were amazing. They were getting it forward and the likes of Brody Mihocek, Ash Johnson just kept bringing the ball to ground, and Jamie Elliott undersized too. I was just the beneficiary of those guys playing great roles down there.
“When I kicked the second (goal), I was in a weird situation, I really wanted to get up and about and celebrate it. But I also knew the task we had at hand. It was like ‘let’s snap back and reset here’.”
Daicos said he was surprised how quickly he had adapted to AFL football, but was determined to keep a level approach.
“I guess I have surprised myself,” he said. “Last year my aim was to play one single game and I debuted early in the year (Round 1, 2022). I was able to stay in the side which was awesome.
“This year I am gaining a lot more confidence, getting around the ball and playing a bit more midfield. I think we have had so many players go to another level this year, hopefully we are in good stead later in the year.”
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