Nathan Buckley laments costly turnovers in Collingwood's narrow loss to Geelong

Collingwood coach Nathan Buckley says the Pies must find a cure for the turnover bug that infected the team all summer and wreaked havoc again in a narrow loss to Geelong.  Jordan De Goey was the poster boy for the Magpies' costly mistakes.

Dayne beams

Collingwood shot itself in the foot with a turnover bug against Geelong which has been an issue for Nathan Buckley all summer.in.

The Magpies coach was frustrated at his team's sloppiness, particularly from half-back, after they gave up the lead in time-on of the final term to fall seven points short.

Last year's grand finalists seemed in command for most of the night against the new-look Cats but they butchered the ball around goal for most of the evening.

Jordan De Goey was the poster boy for the mistakes after he gave up an easy goal in the final term when he played on just near the goalsquare and handballed to Josh Thomas, who was mowed down by a Geelong defender.

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At halftime the Pies had 31 inside 50s for just four goals.

"It was a true Round 1 game in that there were missed opportunities on both sides, mishandling, a lot of plays that looked like they should have been completed but weren't because of a missed handball or missed kick or a dropped mark," Buckley said..

"I think we had our fair share of those and so did Geelong, but they were able to stick at it longer after we got our noses in front five minutes to go. We just weren't able to close it out.

"We just need to be more effective, we made too many blues.

Recap all the action and drama in the live blow below

"A consistent theme across the pre-season has been too many turnovers in our back half and that was consistent again tonight. We gave 32, most of them in the first quarter and then a lot again in the second half. We shoot ourselves in the foot if we can't work the ball out of our back half as effectively as we like to then we allow the opposition to build pressure.

"Inevitably it puts you on the back foot and that is an issue from the pre-season that has carried into Round 1. It's something we need to work on."

Buckley praised the return of Jamie Elliott who was the stand-out forward of the night with three goals.

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"Jamie was a real positive for us, he looked sharp and he'll just build from this," the Pies coach said.

"His road back to where he wants to be is still in progress this was an important marquee opportunity for him to get back into the home and away and to play at the level that he would like to.

"He should be able to build on that. He was clean, he took his chances, he stood out in particular in the first half kicking three of our four goals.

"He has got a lot of energy, he has got some speed and a lot of tricks."