High flyers Jeremy Howe and Darcy Moore can inspire Magpies

WE know how high Jeremy Howe can soar but the sky could be the limit for Collingwood with Darcy Moore joining his spring-heeled teammate in the backline this year.

COLLINGWOOD defensive coach Justin Longmuir believes Darcy Moore and Jeremy Howe can provide an awesome aerial intercept team in the backline this year.

And injury-prone Matt Scharenberg is being schooled to tackle some of the league’s taller forwards.

Longmuir has crossed from West Coast to work with ­Collingwood’s back six.

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The Herald Sun understands Moore has been held back after a kick to the achilles that restricted him from full training or match simulation.

He is ramping up his workload and is set to team with Howe, Scharenberg and Lynden Dunn as the battery of Collingwood defensive talls.

Richmond’s Alex Rance and West Coast’s Jeremy McGovern have changed the game with their intercept marking power in recent seasons.

Though Longmuir was an assistant coach with McGovern at West Coast, he said it was not as simple as a licence to fly at everything.

Jeremy Howe taking a trademark hanger last season. Picture: AAP

“Darcy has missed a lot of training, but the beauty of our backline is we are trying a few different players down there and they are eating up the work,” Longmuir said.

“He has missed some training, but it is his ability to read the footy that holds him in good stead as a back.

“We need him to get out there a bit more so we can work on that cohesiveness.

“The thing that gets lost with all intercept markers like Rance and McGovern is they do it from strong defensive positioning.

“It’s not just playing on one-on-one, they have a strong defensive mindset then they read the play accordingly.”

Longmuir said Howe, who recently signed a fresh three-year deal after finishing fourth in the best-and-fairest, was the full package.

“There isn’t much he can’t do. He is adding a string to his bow as being a good leader and that’s impressed me most about him.”

Longmuir said rookie selection Brody Mihocek has impressed as a 192cm key tall after being plucked from Port Melbourne at pick 22.

Darcy Moore is also capable of flying high. Picture: Sarah Reed

Scharenberg could be the missing link as a stopper after averaging 22 possessions in his last eight games of 2017.

If he could begin stopping star forwards, there would be plenty of defensive cover, despite the Pies losing Ben Reid to attack and the delisting of Henry Schade.

“He has been impressive and another guy who can play tall or small,’’ Longmuir said.

“We have been trying to match him up on different sizes at training so he can learn to cope with different body shapes.”

Pacy small defender Sam Murray, part of a contentious trade with Sydney, arrived with an injury and has missed a chunk of training.