‘It’s scary’: Nick Daicos’ telling Harley Reid comment as AFL young guns shine

Nick Daicos and Harley Reid both impressed as they embraced after playing each other for the first time in a dominant Collingwood win.

Collingwood have overcome a growing injury list to storm into the top eight for the first time this season after destroying an insipid West Coast by 66 points at Marvel Stadium on Sunday.

The Magpies were technically in the top eight in Round 0 after losing to GWS, but that isn’t being taken into consideration due to the fact that only eight teams played in the opening weekend.

Collingwood’s forward line had a completely different look about it with Brody Mihocek (hamstring), Jamie Elliott (back), Beau McCreery (concussion) and Lachie Schultz (suspension) all missing, while star midfielders Jordan De Goey (groin) and Tom Mitchell (appendix) were also out.

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And their personnel issues were further exacerbated when Jeremy Howe (groin) and Harvey Harrison (ankle) exited the game at quarter-time, forcing them to play one rotation down in the middle two periods and Jack Bytel didn’t participate in the final term either due to concussion.

But those various obstacles had no impact on the Magpies’ scoring capacity with 10 individual goalkickers, including inclusions Finlay Macrae (three) and Reef McIness (three), powering them to their second-biggest score of the year 15.13 (103) while restricting West Coast to their lowest ever score against the Magpies 5.7 (37).

Collingwood are back in the top eight. Pic: Michael Klein

Collingwood piled on nine consecutive goals in the middle two quarters as their lead blew out to a massive 74 points in the final term.

Led by the likes of Nick Daicos, Jack Crisp, Macrae, Darcy Cameron, mature-age debutant Joe Richards and Steele Sidebottom, in his new position on halfback, Collingwood produced a magnificent first half which set up the comprehensive win.

De Goey and Mitchell might’ve been missing, but that didn’t stop the Magpies from teaching West Coast’s midfield a lesson, with six of their first eight goals coming directly from centre bounces.

The one bright moment for West Coast came in the opening term when young sensation Harley Reid took yet another mark-of-the-year contender by flying over Darling and Collingwood defender Billy Frampton to rein in a spectacular hanger on the wing.

Nick Daicos and Reid embraced post-game and the Collingwood young gun was full of praise for West Coast’s No. 1 pic.

“Oh he’s a star,” Daicos told Fox Footy.

“I thought his ball use was great and then his contest work. Big boy, very talented in his first year. It’s scary to think what he can be.”

Harley Reid takes a hanger. (Photo by Quinn Rooney/Getty Images)

Nick Daicos and Harley Reid embrace after the game. (Photo by Michael Willson/AFL Photos via Getty Images)

In the first half, Collingwood obliterated the Eagles in centre clearances (13-2), clearances (24-11), contested possessions (81-48) and disposals (208-141) on the way to their biggest ever halftime lead against West Coast (55 points).

With under a minute left in the game, the Magpies had scored 11.5 (71) from stoppage, which is the best by any team this season, to West Coast’s 1.2 (8).

Daicos was outstanding with 36 disposals (17 contested), seven tackles, seven clearances and a goal, Crisp finished with 32 touches (12), six tackles and a goal and Cameron was dominant in the ruck with 24 possessions (14), 18 hitouts and six clearances.

Macrae and Richards (one goal) had 12 and 14 possessions respectively in the decisive first half.

After making their worst start to a season since 1999 (0-3), Collingwood are now undefeated in their past six matches as the reigning premiers’ title defence continues to gather momentum.

For West Coast, after five weeks of promising football, it was a return to their putrid uncompetitive performances from the previous two seasons.

The young duo matched up for the first time. (Photo by Quinn Rooney/Getty Images)

EAGLES’ WINGS CLIPPED

The Eagles’ sorry day was compounded by star defender Jeremy McGovern apparently suffering internal bleeding after appearing to injure his ribs and they also had to activate their sub at quarter-time when Jack Petruccelle succumbed to an ankle complaint.

STARS FAIL TO FIRE

West Coast’s struggles in the middle were best personified by Tim Kelly who only had four disposals at halftime and, for the first time in his career, he didn’t have a contested possession at the major break. Meanwhile, for just the second time in his 286-game career, Jack Darling failed to take a mark.