Jon Ralph names 10 kids who will be part of Collingwood’s next great era
Most assume it’s premiership in 2025 or bust for Collingwood. But, not JON RALPH. He names 10 players under the age of 25 who can help ensure the Magpies remain a threat.
AFL
Don't miss out on the headlines from AFL. Followed categories will be added to My News.
Don’t worry about Dad’s Army, they might as well be footy’s Geriatrics Club.
Collingwood will enter the season as footy’s oldest team this century with 10 players 30 or older and two more joining those golden oldies later this year.
But as Geelong showed in 2023 you can at least hold off Father Time, even if it remains undefeated.
And as the Cats have attested, you can also rapidly overhaul your list profile without dropping to the bottom of the ladder.
Collingwood will enter the season with only one absolute A-grader in that 25-and-under bracket but with plenty of optimism about the players who could emerge.
So who are the Collingwood kids and are they just handy types, list cloggers or players of real substance?
Here are the ten kids who the Pies believe can extend their premiership window well into the next era.
NICK DAICOS
The kid is a freak. You know that.
But having a generational star at only 21 years of age allows you so much certainty in your list build.
His old man Peter played 15 seasons and retired just short of 32 years of age.
Imagine at least a dozen more years of this kid in his prime as his career dovetails into the twilight seasons of Scott Pendlebury’s career.
Nick Daicos was FEELING IT 😤#AFLPiesBluespic.twitter.com/HrB5SkM96D
— AFL (@AFL) August 3, 2024
He is contracted to 2029 so it gives the club TPP certainty.
He has already helped recruit Dan Houston so he helps Collingwood’s Destination Club vibe.
He is marketing gold.
And he drives cultural and training track standards, with coach Craig McRae this week making clear his elevation to the leadership group was about that facet of his game as well as his star power.
REEF MCINNES
A club with so few early selections in recent years needs to maximise its mid-tier picks.
With four seasons and 20 games under his belt 194cm tall McInnes hasn’t exactly shone as a No. 23 draft pick from the 2000 draft.
But a new role down back has him poised for a massive role playing on the opposition’s star forward as the interceptors – Darcy Moore, Jeremy Howe, Dan Houston – fly for their marks.
The early signs have been impressive for the re-cast forward (13 goals in nine games last year), with Isaac Quaynor a huge fan.
“I am a massive Reef McInnes fan, I loaded up on his stocks early,” said Quaynor.
“He’s had a really great pre-season and he has a ferociousness and the roles we are giving him he doesn’t need to do anything extraordinary.
“He can do it in the air and on the ground and he will have some pretty big match-ups throughout the year. It’s exciting for him to come out and hopefully be part of the mix in round zero.”
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
ED ALLAN
Champion Data rates Allan as elite in three categories – contested pressure, scoreboard impact and pressure. That’s the perfect skillset for an AFL midfielder.
The problem is he’s only played two AFL games so far as the No. 19 draft pick in the 2022 national draft.
The former Claremont midfielder, who stands 194cm tall, played two solid seasons of VFL football and made a round 11 debut before being given another chance against Melbourne in round 24.
He brained it – 21 touches, 361 metres gained, 10 contested possessions, six ground ball gets, three clearances, one goal, nine score involvements, six tackles.
Collingwood’s patience is being rewarded for a player who won the 20m sprint in his draft year despite spending much of that year on the sidelines with a back stress fracture.
Just ask Nick Daicos: “Ed Allan is a really interesting one to watch. His potential is unbelievable. I think he can be an absolute superstar.”
BEAU MCCREERY
The No. 44 draft pick in the 2020 draft has been a man in a hurry in his four years at the Pies.
He has a flag, 77 AFL games and a famous mum Julie (after her inspirational Mother’s Day pre-match speech).
He just never quite got going last year after missing multiple games with concussion before a nasty mid-season calf injury.
The pressure forward who can play midfielder only played 17 games but at just 23 he has super upside.
For all his pressuring abilities, can he average a goal a game this year after only 0.68 a game across his young career?
Bobby Hill gets 🆙 for a super grab!#AFLGFpic.twitter.com/kaKVIpync8
— 7AFL (@7AFL) September 30, 2023
BOBBY HILL
The AFL’s inclusion boss Tanya Hosch said this year a senior coach was thrilled his indigenous player was taking part in the All Star game because he knew he would return to his club motivated and inspired.
Can Hill fulfil that prophecy after he let Optus Stadium alight with his electric gifts against Fremantle?
The 24-year-old finished eighth in the best-and-fairest but inaccuracy denied him a bumper season – 30.28 last year compared to 33.14 in his premiership and Norm Smith winning season of 2023.
He’s contracted to 2026 but is desperately keen to be paid fair worth given a good but not great contract.
Wonder if it is a distraction or a motivating force to ensure Collingwood shows him the money.
HARRY DEMATTIA
The No. 19 draft pick from the 2023 national draft injured his finger tendon last year, restricting him to 13 VFL games, then was delayed by a concussion this pre-season.
But he finished last season with a couple of huge VFL games including a 23-possession, seven-tackle, four clearance game against Sydney to cap his debut year.
NED LONG
Despite two years at Hawthorn the 2024 mid-season draftee is still only 22, having played the last seven games of the season in the Pies’ senior side.
He is a pressure king (5.3 tackles a game) but in those seven contests his season high was 13 touches so is he just a nice player or can he continue to develop his game into something of substance?
Wil Parker's first goal as an AFL player was a ripper!#AFLDeesPiespic.twitter.com/AAwR9UyL3c
— AFL (@AFL) August 23, 2024
WIL PARKER
The former cricketer made an astounding progression into the senior side after only five games in the VFL last year. An emergency against GWS, the 180cm defender had his best game in round 24. He won 17 touches and eight intercept possessions but he will need to break into an elite defensive unit which will debut Dan Houston next week.
HARVEY HARRISON
An ACL tear in August means he will spend the early months of the year in rehab but his best was very good last year in a 12 game season with 14 goals (and three goals against Fremantle and Melbourne). If the Pies could get 100-plus games out of a pick 52 it would be canny recruiting.
TEW JIATH
The No. 37 draft pick has a year under his belt with solid VFL numbers as an athletic defender. In 15 games he won an average of 16 touches, 1.3 intercept marks and kicked it beautifully. He has time to learn his craft before taking over from the Brayden Maynard types in coming years.
Originally published as Jon Ralph names 10 kids who will be part of Collingwood’s next great era
Cats’ quirky Marvel curse revealed
The form lines suggest Geelong should be recording a comfortable win this weekend however history suggests the Saints could come marching in. Here’s why.
Blues risk ‘jeopardising’ salary cap to match TDK offer
Tom De Koning is weighing up a mega offer to become a Saint from 2026. But to match the offer, Carlton risks jeopardising its salary cap structure and putting its stars in an “unfair” position.