Charlie West closes in on Pies debut as Collingwood’s next generation rises to take the mantle

Pies fans have been asking to see him for weeks, and they’re set to get their wish against the Eagles, but Charlie West might be proof that the old Magpies still have plenty of young stars.

Collingwood believes Charlie West’s impending AFL debut against West Coast is proof its next wave of talent is ready to eventually succeed its Dad’s Army collection of plus-30s.

West is expected to replace hamstrung forward Beau McCreery after shining since coming to the club last year’s as a No. 50 draft pick from Woodville-West Torrens.

The aggressive forward is the grandson of former AFL chief executive Wayne Jackson, who also played 71 games for West Torrens.

Charlie West looks set to debut. Picture: Michael Klein

Jackson helped shape the AFL during his tenure from 1996-2003 – including the building of the Docklands venue now known as Marvel Stadium which helped keep the league financially secure through Covid.

West said last year his grandfather was a fixture at his games in a faded AFL-branded green chair.

“He’s been very supportive of me and comes out to almost every game. He likes to yell out ‘get the ball, go Charlie’.” He gives me a call after games and tells me what he thinks I did right and what I need to work on.”

The 194cm key forward kicked six goals including the post-siren match winner on Saturday and will almost certainly get his first game of his young career.

The former volleyballer and basketballer impressed with a 2.95sec 20m sprint in last year’s carnival and a 70cm standing vertical jump as the Pies swept in with one of their later picks.

Collingwood has found a new star in inside midfielder Ned Long and is also excited about the potential of wingman Ed Allan, the No. 19 pick in the 2022 national draft.

Will Hayes has already debuted as the No. 56 selection from last year’s national draft for Collingwood as the Pies gave up early picks for Dan Houston.

Beau McCreery will miss some time. Picture: Michael Willson/AFL Photos via Getty Images

The club is also keen to give ruckman Oscar Steene an AFL debut at some stage but Darcy Cameron’s form remains spectacular.

Harry DeMattia is in solid form as the No. 25 pick in the 2023 national draft but West is the next cab off the rank.

He had kicked 18 goals in the first six rounds of the VFL home-and-away season before three goalless weeks.

But after his spectacular six-goal outing against the Sandringham Zebras, West is ready to take on the Eagles.

“Did you see the kick after the siren? Charlie West kicked six goals in the VFL and I must admit his magnet was really close this week. I didn’t tell him but now he’s going to be really hard to keep out,” Collingwood coach Craig McRae said.

“A 19-year-old kick playing VFL and kicking a goal after the siren. We will celebrate it first thing on Monday morning and he looks like he’s going to be really hard to leave out.”

McCreery suffered a six-week hamstring injury in 2021 so and has had other minor hamstring concerns so has some expertise on returning from soft-tissue sprains.

The Pies have Brayden Maynard ready to return against the Eagles off a plantar fascia concern, with Jordan De Goey stepping up his running after achilles issues but still some weeks away.

“He will get scans tomorrow,” McRae said of McCreery.

“The likelihood of some form of hamstring strain. We are thinking on the minor end. The doctors are saying minor end and Beau saying minor end.

“He has done a pretty bad one before, so there is an awareness there. We will just have to wait to see what that looks like.”

Originally published as Charlie West closes in on Pies debut as Collingwood’s next generation rises to take the mantle