Forgotten Magpies Jamie Elliott, Darcy Moore can play key roles in Collingwood premiership push

COLLINGWOOD is Richmond’s biggest challenger, even without Adam Treloar. But they need to smash Gold Coast, and get two players back from long-term injuries.

Steele Sidebottom of the Magpies.

COLLINGWOOD needs to win big win against Gold Coast at Metricon Stadium.

The Magpies need more than just the four points, they need a major percentage boost if they are to hold on to their position inside the top four.

With the competition being so close, percentage will play a huge part in deciding top four and top eight positions. We saw it happen in dramatic circumstances last year when West Coast edged Melbourne out of the finals on percentage with a Round 23 win over Adelaide.

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Collingwood currently has the sixth-best percentage of the top-eight sides.

The Magpies failed to take advantage of a struggling Carlton last weekend but they cannot leave Gold Coast without a significant percentage rise.

One game separated Collingwood from the top three in Richmond, Sydney and West Coast before this round began — but also 10, 6 and 4 per cent respectively.

Some ask who have Collingwood beaten this year but I am not one of those people. I believe Collingwood is Richmond’s greatest challenger on their current form, even without gun

midfielder Adam Treloar.

Collingwood has so much depth and flexibility through the midfield and forward line and it is the Pies’ ball movement and leg speed that has been the catalyst for their nine wins from the past 11 games.

Steele Sidebottom and the Magpies need to keep their percentage high.

Melbourne was made to look second-rate by Collingwood in the Queens Birthday clash because Collingwood beat the Demons at their strength, contested ball, and then obliterated them on the outside.

Melbourne just didn’t have the run to cope with Jordan DeGoey, Steele Sidebottom, Will Hoskin-Elliott and Jaidyn Stephenson.

Adelaide lost to Collingwood in the same fashion in Round 4 and it was in that game that I saw a Magpies team that was different to every other I had seen under Nathan Buckley.

Gone was the indecision and constant turning over of the ball and in came the dynamic, hard-running Collingwood side that could deliver the ball by hand or foot at top speed to a forward line that turned the Crows defenders inside-out.

Stephenson, DeGoey and Hoskin-Elliott can exploit you both on the lead or running back towards goal. With Treloar most likely to miss the rest of the season with his hamstring injury, DeGoey will have to play more midfield minutes which does hurt Collingwood, but if they can get Jamie Elliott AFL-fit by the last six weeks of the season, the forward line just gets better.

I think people have forgotten just how good Elliott is, so I would be giving him every chance to get back in this Collingwood team, even if he does play VFL football for an extended period.

Jamie Elliott could be a key to Collingwood’s premiership hopes. Picture: Michael Klein

Collingwood needs to get Darcy Moore back in the team. Picture: Michael Klein

As brave as Lynden Dunn and Matt Scharenberg are, it is Collingwood’s defence that worries me the most. The Pies have upcoming games against West Coast, North Melbourne, Richmond and Sydney in which a power forward will challenge them for height and strength.

In the past two games that the Magpies have played, Tom McDonald and Charlie Curnow have been dominant in the air, kicking nine goals between them.

Dunn has been a sensational pick-up for Collingwood and Scharenberg has been one of the feel-good stories of the year with his continuity after so many setbacks and his form. But, along with Jeremy Howe, I’m not sure they can handle the gorilla forwards of the competition when it really counts.

Darcy Moore has now missed a lot of footy but like Elliott, is super important to Collingwood’s finals chances. Adding Moore to the Pies defence in the coming weeks allows for greater flexibility within the side to free up Howe and Scharenberg to become lay-off players.

I would like to see Moore play on the likes of Jack Darling, Jarrad Waite and even Lance Franklin in the run to the finals as he has the talent to make the most of that opportunity.

It’s now about getting his body right and building his belief that he can hold down the key

defensive post. Collingwood desperately needs him to be able to play a significant role when he does return.

The Collingwood midfield is ranked first in many areas including overall disposals, clearances and tackle pressure. Brodie Grundy has led his team superbly.

The attack is ranked third in the competition for overall scores, average 94 points a game, so the Magpies have every reason to be happy with how they are travelling.

Percentage is a brilliant guide to how well a team is performing — 19 of the past 20 grand Finalists ranked top four by season’s end. The Bulldogs in 2016 were the only exception.

Forget packing the boardshorts, the Pies’ most important item to bring this weekend is a ruthless attitude as a top-four spot and a greater chance at winning the 2018 premiership is riding on it.

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