Adam Treloar rebuffed Richmond for Collingwood, but has he picked the right club?

WHEN Adam Treloar rebuffed Richmond he believed that Collingwood was closer to a flag. But the Pies suddenly have some problems to overcome in the short term.

WHEN Adam Treloar rebuffed Richmond, saying he preferred Collingwood’s list, the Tiger faithful went into meltdown.

Richmond had figured in three straight finals appearances, toppled the Hawthorn juggernaut three out of their past four meetings and has elite bookends in Alex Rance and Jack Riewoldt.

When the Tigers played the Magpies in Round 21 last year, Richmond thumped them by 91 points. Ty Vickery booted six.

Yet, as Treloar weighed up his three trade options including North Melbourne, he believed that Collingwood was closest to a flag.

“A lot of people might think I’m silly because Richmond have a lot of good players,” Treloar said.

“But I think Collingwood have a better list, and a younger list, who in a couple of years’ time can hopefully win a premiership,” Treloar said.

Richmond legend Kevin Bartlett spat chips on radio, saying the line breaker was “delusional” and must have been “brainwashed”.

“Adam, you’ll have to be twice as good as I think you are for the Pies to win a flag before Richmond,” Bartlett steamed.

“Your coach made the same big call in choosing Collingwood over Brisbane to win premierships. Check the record books for that one.”

Treloar, 23, was excellent in Collingwood’s abysmal loss to Sydney on Saturday night, breaking lines and adding a much needed layer of midfield polish.

But as the Tigers and Magpies prepare to renew hostilities on Friday night there has been an interesting twist in the list comparison.

The gurus at Champion Data, who have spent almost 10 years refining their player and team assessments, agree with Treloar.

Adam Treloar was Collingwood’s best player on Saturday night. Picture. Phil Hillyard

The 2016 Prospectus says Collingwood’s list not only has the edge, it says the black and white “have the potential to be a powerhouse” from 2017-18 onwards.

“Their trading has been exceptional, and will set them up for a few years to come,” it reads.

Champion Data’s list rating, which ranks the squads using in-depth player rankings over the past two years, says Collingwood has the seventh best list in the competition.

Richmond is barley a dog’s whisker behind, in eighth.

The Tigers are, unequivocally, gunning for a premiership, led by superstars Trent Cotchin, Dustin Martin, Riewoldt, Rance and an underrated ball-winner in Shane Edwards, but there are question marks over the club’s depth.

Richmond has the fewest players in the league under the age of 21 but the fifth-most (16) in the 21-24 bracket. Collingwood has the third-most in the 21-24 group, with 20.

Speedster Chris Yarran was recruited to Punt Rd in exchange for pick No. 19 but arrived at the club in unsatisfactory condition and has since injured his calf and undergone surgery on his foot.

The Prospectus asks bluntly about the Tigers: “Their time is now but do they have the quality?”

Shaun Grigg should return from a thumb injury against the Pies, but Brett Deledio (quad) and Ivan Maric (back) are in doubt, and Edwards (wrist) has already been ruled out. That’s a big scoop from the top-layer of cream on the list.

But the Pies have problems, too. Perhaps, even bigger ones, in the short term.

On Saturday night against the Swans, the Magpies were demoralised in the middle, managed only seven goals for the night and spearhead Travis Cloke was statless before half time and was eventually thrown into the ruck in the third term.

Cloke will get possibly the best defender in the AFL on Friday night, Alex Rance, and there is an issue in the back line, too.

In Collingwood’s bid to increase their scoring potential this year, concerns surfaced in defence in the preseason, with Nathan Buckley’s crew conceding the third most points in the NAB Challenge series.

As Sydney piled home 18 goals at the SCG at the weekend, those defensive issues continued.

Luckless big man Ben Reid, who has played nine games in the past two years due to repeated soft-tissue setbacks, is crucial to that whole list rebuild Treloar was talking about.

Reid looks on track to make a timely return against the Tigers.

The pressure, as always, will be on and Buckley, after signing a contract extension before the season launch.

He will not want to start the season 0-2. Much-improved St Kilda and Melbourne will be waiting in Rounds 3 and 4.

But the game against Richmond on Friday night will be equally big on a personal note, if not maybe slightly uncomfortable, for its new star midfielder, Treloar.

While only early in his Collingwood journey, expect Bartlett to remind Treloar about his big decision, should the result go Richmond’s way.