AFL 2024: Do Pies need to make massive call on Daicos to save their season?

Collingwood’s season is on the line at the Gabba on Thursday night – and coach Craig McRae has some big calls to make. What does he do with young superstar Nick Daicos?

Could a Nick Daicos move to half-back help fix Collingwood’s woes to start the season? Picture: Darrian Traynor/Getty Images.

It might have been the most selfless suggestion of the 2023 season.

When Brisbane Lions put their noses ahead with five minutes left in last year’s Grand Final, Nick Daicos asked champion Scott Pendlebury whether it was best for him to swap out of the engine room for Tom Mitchell.

The former captain in his deadpan style said “are you sure you don’t want to be part of this?”

So Daicos stayed put, helped win the crucial centre clearance, and then moments later produced the handball of the year to set up Jordan De Goey’s unforgettable go-ahead goal.

But with Collingwood’s back-to-back flag tilt already faltering three games into the new season, Daicos might have a similar suggestion for coach Craig McRae this week in the Grand Final rematch.

Could a Nick Daicos move to half-back help fix Collingwood’s woes to start the season? Picture: Phil Hillyard.

Is it time, once again, for him to depart the centre square?

To save its season against Brisbane on Easter Thursday, Collingwood needs Daicos’ blinding foot skills and brilliant run in the back half where the Magpies have been repeatedly turning the ball over to the opposition across their first three losses.

In total, the Magpies have conceded 208 points from turnovers over the first three games, their seventh-worst three-week stretch since 2007, according to Champion Data.

And Jordan De Goey (30 points), Oleg Markov (20) and captain Darcy Moore (19) have been the three worst offenders.

Daicos started the season as the Brownlow Medal favourite and clearly would have anticipated his game going to a new level in the engine room this year.

He is a spectacular footballer, who can hit targets others can only dream of.

Nick Daicos a goal during Opening Round against GWS. Picture: Michael Willson/AFL Photos via Getty Images.

But for a man who offered up his spot in the middle for the centre clearance of a lifetime in last year’s premiership decider, ego is unlikely to be a factor this time around either.

And the trend is clear. Clubs around the competition are moving their most damaging ball users to half back.

Think Max Holmes at Geelong, Nasiah Wanganeen-Milera at St Kilda and Nic Martin at Essendon.

When Collingwood surged to the front of the league before the bye last season Daicos was playing 61 per cent in defence, before moving more into the middle after the break.

But perhaps it is time for McRae to make one of the biggest positional switches of his blessed run as coach at Collingwood, and return Daicos to the back flank to find some trusted ball use and spark in the back half.

Not only is he a laser by foot; he is a ground ball wizard as well, Daicos.

The move would fix two personnel headaches for Collingwood.

Nick Daicos and Josh Daicos hold up the Premiership Cup during Grand Final celebrations fan day at AIA Centre. Picture: Quinn Rooney/Getty Images.

Jack Crisp looks dejected after going down to the Swans in Round 1. Picture: Michael Willson/AFL Photos via Getty Images.

Not only does it give them a weapon to start the ball movement, it could ignite Jack Crisp’s season.

The hard nut was a September star for Collingwood, elevating his game to a new level in the guts across the finals, booting two goals from 25 touches in the win over the Lions.

But he has shifted back so far in 2024 and his impact has plummeted.

Crisp’s metres gained have halved from 393m to 184m a game, score involvements have spiralled from 5.5 to 3 and his disposals have dropped off from 21.3 to 18.3.

It is an alarming drop-off for a man who has won two of the club’s past three best and fairests and last year finished fifth in the Gary Ayres Medal, recognising the best players in the finals series.

Crisp’s ball-handling may not have been razor-sharp to start this season, but he provided an accountable edge to the midfield brigade riding shotgun alongside De Goey.

McRae will be wondering what buttons he can push this week to help save the season, before it’s too late.

Perhaps it starts with this straight-swap.