Collingwood’s best 22 in 2021: Will Jordan De Goey relish the chance at more midfield time?

Collingwood will have a new-look midfield next season after trading out one of the AFL’s top ball-winners. Who will be in the engine room in Round 1, 2021? PIES’ BEST 22 HERE.

The Pies have kept the faith in Jordan De Goey — will he pay them back in spades? Picture: Getty Images

Jordan De Goey has got to take a leaf from Christian Petracca’s book.

It was this time last year the Melbourne midfielder sacrificed his off-season to get in the best shape of his life leading into his sensational breakthrough 2020 campaign.

Petracca was fed up with just being a talented forward, and smashed himself on the training track and on a camp in the United States, in a bid to become one of the game’s best midfielders.

Over these next four months, De Goey has that exact same opportunity.

Could a tumultuous trade period for Nathan Buckley and the Pies be the making of Jordan De Goey? Picture: AFL Photos/Getty Images

When the cameras roll up for the first day of Collingwood pre-season you know who the lenses will be pointed at to see what sort of condition De Goey is in.

And while it is unclear whether Nathan Buckley used the carrot or the stick in his exit meeting, the feedback would have been crystal clear.

Get yourself ready to have the best season of your career.

While fans are still reeling from the cold-blooded decision to punt Adam Treloar, the club would not have made the cut if it didn’t think it could cover him, and potentially even improve without him.

What is Treloar’s loss, could be De Goey’s gain.

Adam Treloar’s move to Whitten Oval presents De Goey with a chance at more midfield time. Picture: Getty Images

Collingwood can still finish top-four and have a shot at the flag next season.

They still have one of the best defences in the competition, and want to revamp the midfield mix to help sharpen the forward half connection which has been such a big problem for it over the past two years.

Whether Treloar has been on the same page as the rest of the midfield is a question for Buckley. He hinted in an excellent SEN radio interview yesterday that there was a connection issue in the guts.

But in any case, Treloar’s departure creates exciting opportunity for De Goey, in the same vein Petracca became a genuine wrecking ball. A ballistic midfield machine.

But first Petracca went from a V6 to a V10 when no one else was watching, and now his next five years can be anything. His contract value will also reflect it.

Not for the first time, Collingwood has put its faith in De Goey despite his pending indecent assault charge in the belief he can make a huge difference to the team in the forward half.

De Goey and Brayden Maynard will get more midfield minutes, while Brayden Sier can be in the engine room for the opening bounce of their Round 1 match if he also takes the bull by the horns this summer.

After years of unfulfilled potential, Christian Petracca finally rewarded the Demons’ faith with an incredible 2020 season. Picture: Getty Images

That is what gave Collingwood confidence to drop the Treloar bombshell.

There are midfield options everywhere in the short-term, including Callum and Tyler Brown and up-and-comer Jay Rantall.

Steele Sidebottom will get more of a look-in in the engine room without Treloar in a similar way to 2018 when he looked like one of the best players and ball users in the game.

Tom Wilson, the basketball convert, is also a smoky for a wing role.

Will Kelly will return to a key forward berth after his exciting debut and while there were no takers for Mason Cox in the trade period, there is still an opportunity for him at full forward.

Brodie Grundy had a poor year and struggled with the confinements of the hub but the club will back him strongly to recapture his best next season.

Callum Brown is set take on more responsibilities for the Pies. Picture: Michael Klein

MORE AFL:

AFL 2020: Collingwood coach Nathan Buckley responds to criticism over Adam Treloar, Jaidyn Stephenson and Tom Phillips exits

AFL free agents: See the biggest free agents for the 2021 season

But the Magpies should look to bolster its developing key forward stocks in this year’s draft, knowing there aren’t many prime talls in next year’s free agency pool.

There are superstar midfielders like Essendon’s Zach Merrett and GWS Giant Josh Kelly, but there’s no Tom Lynch or Jeremy Cameron on offer.

This is why the club wanted to strengthen its draft position and nab a top-five pick.

That can still happen if the Pies are prepared to part with picks No. 14 or No. 16 and next year’s future first-rounder to get up the order.

There are some exciting talls like Logan McDonald and Riley Thilthorpe available, if Collingwood can get an early enough pick. Athletic 200cm swingman Nik Cox is another.

If Treloar wanted to go to Gold Coast, it could have netted the Pies’ pick No. 5, but it wasn’t to be.

Originally published as Collingwood’s best 22 in 2021: Will Jordan De Goey relish the chance at more midfield time?