Nathan Buckley insists Collingwood won’t lower expectations after Round 1 loss to Hawthorn

THE football world is again circling the Pies after a depressingly familiar season-opening loss but coach Nathan Buckley says the club is immune to the doomsayers won’t lower its expectations.

COLLINGWOOD coach Nathan Buckley insists his club is immune to the doomsayers despite a depressingly familiar season-opening loss, injuries to key players and a daunting Round 2 assignment against a rampaging GWS.

The football world is again circling the Pies, who will also be without suspended big man Mason Cox against a Giants side fresh from an 82-point belting of the Western Bulldogs.

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Playmaking Pies Alex Fasolo, Daniel Wells and Jamie Elliott will all miss again.

“There’s no doubt that when you’ve got expectations coming into the season and you lower those expectations, you’ve got to carry that as players and coaches. But we’re made of sterner stuff,” Buckley said.

“I did say that we’d let our footy do the talking and we still plan to do that. At the moment it’s not doing a whole lot of talking, but we’re looking forward to the challenge on Saturday.”

MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA - MARCH 24: Magpies head coach Nathan Buckley speaks to Taylor Adams of the Magpies during his three quarter time address during the round one AFL match between the Hawthorn Hawks and the Collingwood Magpies at Melbourne Cricket Ground on March 24, 2018 in Melbourne, Australia. (Photo by Michael Dodge/Getty Images)

Buckley will spend the next two days contemplating how to rejig his forward line in the wake of Cox’s one-match ban, adding that Darcy Moore would again start in defence.

“If Mason was missing a month it would change the consideration for us, but without giving away much to the opposition that we’re about to face, we’re pretty keen to maintain a back seven as consistently as we possibly can to give them a chance to grow and evolve together,” he said.

“Having said that, like we did on the weekend, we could try to change things to get the result.”

With Fasolo set to spend at least another week in the VFL and Wells and Elliott not yet near full fitness, Buckley named Chris Mayne, Jarryd Blair, Tim Broomhead and Brayden Sier as potential inclusions.

Mayne was signed on a controversial $2 million four-year deal at the end of 2016, but hasn’t played since featuring in the first three matches of 2017.

Mayne’s father Steve hit out at Buckley last September after the coach appeared to distance himself from the decision to recruit Mayne.

The Pies will be without Mason Cox. Picture: AAP

But Buckley continued to praise the forward’s positive attitude.

“He had 35 touches on the weekend, not that touches are everything,” Buckley joked, in reference to Tom Mitchell’s 54-disposal haul against the Pies last weekend.

“He had a real good impact and had a real solid pre-season. I think he’s bounced off a pretty disappointing year last year with a first class atitude, which we knew he’s always had.

“He just seems to have his legs under him a bit more, he’s covering the ground better and he’s put himself in the frame. He’ll get his opportunites.”

Asked what it meant that Mayne hadn’t been able to get a Round 1 berth despite injuries to forwards Fasolo and Elliott, Buckley said: “There’s no use going back over it.

“Our attitude to him and any other player is if we think you can help us win a game of footy you’ll play and our players understand that. Mayney has got some fantastic strengths and we’re looking forward to him bringing them to the table.”