Coach Nathan Buckley instils a team-first attitude into youthful Collingwood, now playing side-by-side football

NATHAN Buckley sought to change Collingwood’s philosophical stripes and his boldness has brought instant results.

COLLINGWOOD’S 2013 ended with an elimination final loss to Port Adelaide — only seven games ago — yet they faced a culture crisis.

Coach Nathan Buckley felt the club needed an attitude overhaul and he made a statement. It was his way or the highway. No words, just action.

Collingwood moved on ageing stars who were either past their best, cultural handbrakes or simply too expensive.

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A considered strategic move by Buckley and his crew to perhaps take one small step backwards in 2014 for two giant strides forward in 2015 and/or 2016.

Considering the core of this list is approaching or enjoying their prime, the logic appears rational.

The Pies’ team-first attitude is paying dividends. Picture: Michael Klein

Scott Pendlebury, Dayne Beams, Ben Reid, Travis Cloke, Steele Sidebottom and Co. are all aged 23 to 27 and have the grounding to take full responsibility for the club’s fortunes.

The decisions made to then obtain five top 20 draft selections over the past two seasons have availed more elite talent to mould the Buckley way.

The cost of losing Heath Shaw and Dale Thomas has been softened by the acquisition and freshness of Taylor Adams and Nathan Freeman. In the previous draft it was Chris Dawes and Sharrod Wellingham moving on for Tim Broomhead and Brodie Grundy.

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They’ve basically moved older players who hardly played in 2013, with the exception of Shaw, for these high-end draft picks who are the future. It won’t be long before Broomhead and Freeman are exciting the Pies faithful on the big stage.

Buckley trusts his youth to get the job done. Brodie Grundy and Jarrod Witts are relative babies in their roles, but they epitomise this new youth-first attitude at the Westpac Centre.

Buckley in deep conversation with Jarrod Witts. Picture: Colleen Petch.

Buckley’s backed his recruiting and development departments to the hilt, but the real bonus is that the assumed step backwards hasn’t eventuated.

In fact, there has been no step backwards. The Pies have actually drastically improved via the growth of their underestimated and inexperienced youngsters and bona fide leadership.

This new wave of Collingwood youngsters play without ego, with a team-first attitude that commits to all facets of the game. Buckley’s boys are now playing genuine side-by-side football.

They’ve embraced the defensive aspects of football more than their predecessors. New methods have assisted Buckley’s game plan, but the defensive leadership of Luke Ball, Beams, Pendlebury and Tyson Goldsack drive the standards.

Goldsack tackles with more intent and anger than anyone else in the game. While he’s only made 28 tackles this season, they’ve all left bruises on opposition bodies. He’s not as sneaky and silent as Cyril Rioli, but he hurts more when he arrives.

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Ball exemplifies what our great game is all about when not in possession. He becomes a missile after the opposition bodies. The Pies walk taller with the diminutive Ball in their midfield and Buckley must ensure he gets to September in supreme condition.

Beams and Pendlebury are the club’s equal leading tacklers, so clearly it’s a case of “do as I do, not as I say”. They are also ranked No. 1 and No. 2 for disposals, but I’ll bet tackling is the foundation of their game.

Collingwood are the best team in the competition without possession. It’s a facet of their game that can’t be understated when evaluating premiership contention as the Pies force their opposition into turnovers more than any other team. Historically, winning this stat leads to a Grand Final appearance at a minimum.

In 2010 the Pies defended aggressively in their forward half, known as the press. But this season Collingwood is retreating and defending their back half and, more particularly, their defensive 50m.

Jack Frost has cemented his spot in the Collingwood side. Picture: Wayne Ludbey

They give tremendous support their key position youngsters in Jack Frost and Lachlan Keefe. “H” Lumumba and Nick Maxwell offer that immediate fist-player-back support, often to their personal detriment and scrutiny, but I get the feeling Bucks loves it.

We often see Maxwell rolling off his direct opponent to intercept and he’s again ranked in top five in the competition in that category, but the growth of young Tom Langdon has surprised. Langdon is seventh in the AFL for winning the ball back. To put that into context, he’s currently intercepted more ball than Harry Taylor and Josh Gibson.

Collingwood’s tackle pressure numbers in the true midfield — between the 50m arcs — is also ranked No. 1 in the AFL. The inexperienced defence is protected by a midfield which tackles and harasses with fanaticism and reduces the opposition’s time and space to execute their skills.

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Assessing culture from an external vantage point can be dangerous, but the results are there for all to see. Buckley has changed Collingwood from a high possession midfield that often engaged in all three facets of the game: In possession, in dispute and without possession. But that ‘often’ seems to have become non-negotiable,

The new defensive standards may just give Collingwood premiership opportunities well ahead of their strategic forecast. In what’s becoming a very open 2014 season, you get the feeling that the Pies could loom large.

Statistically, Buckley’s boys are mid-table in key areas, but they have significant scope for improvement when Ben Reid returns. Their attack is ranked 12th, only scoring an average of 83 points a week, but they become a genuine two pronged attack when Reid roams their forward 50m.

The Pies’ rucks are getting mauled for hit-outs and therefore clearance numbers versus their direct opponents are down, averaging -8 and -3, ranked 13th and 16th respectively.

Another pre-season, another 20-odd games experience and another 100 training sessions learning their craft and their time will come. Buckley is taking the short term pain for long term benefits.

Buckley has changed the Pies’ strategy and culture significantly. And for the better. Picture: Wayne Ludbey

The Pies’ new mode has them achieving less possession, but with more potency and more damaging ball use. Gone is the high handball chains and in is more kicking. The Magpies’ 2014 fortunes don’t rest upon Travis Cloke’s goal output or Dane Swan’s possessions. It will be decided by whether their defensive output as a team is a non-negotiable expectation or an occasional occurrence.

Buckley’s alterations to the game style aren’t dissimilar to that of other clubs, but the list strategy and cultural adjustments are momentous.

I’m tipping Buckley to become a premiership coach in the next two to three seasons.

The Magpies may require a key defender of note via free agency, like a James Frawley type to offer the Brian Lake-like presence and flow-on effect.

Surely if Collingwood was around the mark financially they’d become a better proposition than Adelaide?

Time will tell.