Mick Malthouse lays out the reasons why Collingwood can win the 2018 premiership
PIE in the sky or genuine threat? MICK MALTHOUSE says the board’s decision to re-appoint Nathan Buckley is paying off. And the club’s former coach reveals why he likes Collingwood’s 2018 chances.
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THIRD versus seventh on Monday. A blockbuster.
A chance for Collingwood and Melbourne to prove they are genuinely heading somewhere this season.
Collingwood is yet to beat a team in the top eight because it has only played two such teams — Richmond and Geelong.
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Melbourne beat North Melbourne in Round 3 and also lost to the Tigers and Cats. Both teams smashed Adelaide, which sat ninth on percentage at the start of this round.
So the Queen’s Birthday clash, which is always a beauty, is test time. Capital T — Test Time.
Both clubs have had some impressive wins lately — the kind of wins to give you confidence and earn you a tick for your game plan.
From those wins there is a lot we know about the Magpies and Demons — for one they both have a dominant ruckman. But enough has already been said about Brodie Grundy and Max Gawn.
There is also a lot we don’t know about Collingwood and Melbourne. By the end of Monday’s clash we might have a truer picture of their strengths and weaknesses and how well their game structure holds up against quality, in-form opposition.
Let’s focus on Collingwood:
The Magpies have a list as long as any club in the competition for players who can go through the middle.
Taylor Adams, Jordan De Goey, Scott Pendlebury, Tom Phillips, Steele Sidebottom, Josh Thomas, Brayden Maynard and Daniel Wells — whether they start in the centre or play a cameo role during the game, Collingwood’s riches here give it an incredible advantage.
Look downfield and there is also a plethora of medium to tall marking forwards capable of kicking a bag of goals.
Collingwood’s top three goalkickers from last season — Jamie Elliott, Alex Fasolo and Darcy Moore — have hardly played a game this year, but instead of faltering, this is the area that makes the Magpies so dangerous.
Their number of medium-sized players who can double up in the middle or go forward and kick multiple goals is astonishing.
De Goey, Will Hoskin-Elliott, Pendlebury, Sidebottom, Jaidyn Stephenson, Thomas, Adam Treloar and Wells. Rookie Brody Mihocek, 25, even kicked four in his first game last week.
It’s hard to cover them all, so there’s no relief for the opposing backline.
The most exposed defenders, Nos. 5 and 6, are still expected to pick-up a multiple goalkicker. And this is where all the damage has been done in Collingwood’s most recent wins because, inevitably, someone jumps up and kicks a bag.
Mason Cox is the X-factor with his huge presence and marking ability, but he’s not a big goalkicker. This is where the game structure works for this basketballer-at-heart though, because while he attracts one of the opposition’s best defenders, he has the skill to put the ball in the right spot for his ground coverage teammates to take advantage of.
Defensively the Magpies are sound.
Matthew Scharenberg has changed the dynamics of the backline, beating every key forward he has played on this season.
Lynden Dunn has been a revelation as a key back and, he too, is rarely beaten.
Jeremy Howe, who missed last week, has been the most exciting player in the air in the past two years. He continues to be Collingwood’s best intercept player and sets them up from behind centre.
It seems Collingwood’s only dilemma is getting the balance right, with such an array of talented forwards and midfielders. It’s a dilemma most coaches would love to have.
Nathan Buckley has said his players feel more confident with the brand of football they are developing every week.
The foresight and faith from the board to reappoint him for a further two years gave Buckley the license to continue building that brand and it’s paying off for him and the Magpies.
The game structure is based around dominating the stoppages — No.1.
Secondly, they don’t rely heavily on their talls to mark inside 50. Instead they isolate players like DeGoey and Hoskin-Elliott, who can hold their own against the backs and kick multiple goals. And there is enough crumbing depth with the likes of Josh Daicos to provide back up.
Thirdly, they are effective in bringing the ball out of their backline.
They are one of the best around-the-ground marking sides in the competition, so the backline ball carrier can use any of the marking options in front of him with confidence, or his get-out-of-jail card is a long kick down the line to either Grundy or Cox where he can rely on a good contest.
It looks like the complete game of football.
On its current form Collingwood can match it with most teams. It is 7-4. Twelve wins should secure a spot in the final eight, which means it only needs to win five of its remaining games to play finals for the first time since 2013.
Can the Magpies go all the way?
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Every team has been inspired by the two most recent premiers, Richmond and the Western Bulldogs, so the Magpies would certainly consider themselves a chance. A good chance.
Monday’s result against another flag contender will be the proof they need.
There are a few sides in the current top eight who are not good enough to match it with league leaders and premiership favourites Richmond and West Coast.
But I believe the Magpies are.
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Originally published as Mick Malthouse lays out the reasons why Collingwood can win the 2018 premiership
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