Adam Treloar says Collingwood players need to be given some ‘tough love’

COLLINGWOOD midfielder Adam Treloar says the Magpies need a dose of “tough love” if they are to get everyone contributing and reignite their season.

AFL Round 7. Collingwood v Carlton at the MCG. Adam Treloar by hand. Pic: Michael Klein

COLLINGWOOD midfielder Adam Treloar says the Magpies need a dose of “tough love” if they are to get everyone contributing and reignite their season.

The spotlight is again on coach Nathan Buckley and his men after they fell to arch rivals and last year’s wooden spoon side Carlton at the MCG on Saturday.

The loss left the 14th-placed Mapies with just two wins from their opening seven matches as they face a critical away clash against the Brisbane Lions at the Gabba on Saturday night.

Treloar said the Magpies were too reliant on leaders Scott Pendlebury and Steele Sidebottom each week to steer the team.

“I think ‘Bucks’ put it pretty well, he’s basically said that we don’t have 22 players playing their role,’’ Treloar said.

“We need people out there doing it because we’re not going to get the job done if we don’t.

“We can’t have the same people standing up and relying on the same people like ‘Pendles’ and ‘Sidey’.

“It’s just a bit of tough love (needed to make that happen).’’

Treloar, the Magpies’ big off-season recruit after crossing from the Giants, said the players needed to take responsibility for the team’s form woes.

He believed the players were not consistently applying the coaching team’s game plan.

“We firmly believe it’s the players,’’ Treloar said on Channel 7’s Game Day.

“We know Bucks cops it quite a fair bit as any coach would being the head coach and being Collingwood as well.

“But it’s fully on the players, we are the ones that are not executing it.

“We fully believe in our process, we trained it over the pre-season, what’s the point of training it for four or five or six months and not executing it? We don’t just want to fold and not worry about it.

“So it’s completely on the players and it’s disappointing the way we have been going about it.’’

Adam Treloar says some tough love is needed at the Pies. Picture: AAP

The Magpies’ problems have been compounded by a growing injury list.

Ben Reid (shoulder) and Tim Broomhead (ankle) were casualties on Saturday and are in doubt this week. Demoted forward Travis Cloke was forced to pull out of the Pies’ VFL game on Saturday with a back complaint.

While making no excuses, Treloar admitted the team’s injuries had hurt.

“It’s not ideal having so many players injured ... we have quite a few players that would not easily, but pretty much be in the ones side,’’ Treloar said.

“It’s not an excuse, but you look at all the really good teams ... they’ve had the same players playing week in, week out and they’ve got a bit of continuity and they can gell.

“Where we’re having players come in and we’ve got to, not learn how they play, but they haven’t been there and you’ve just got to learn how to gell a little bit better.’’

With the Magpies only taking five marks inside their forward 50m against the Blues, Treloar said the Magpies needed big forward Cloke back in form.

“We need a better contest from the big guys,’’ Treloar said.

“It’s plain and simple. If we had someone like Levi (Casboult) taking marks like that for us, it would be easier.

“Hopefully Trav can really hit some form and come back in because when he is firing, he’s one of the best forwards in the comp and we look forward to that.’’