Chris Mayne among the great storylines as Collingwood surges into finals contention

COLLINGWOOD is firing and one man, unwanted less than a year ago, is a key reason. But JON RALPH writes Chris Mayne’s resurrection is only one of a number of amazing Magpie storylines.

Chris Mayne and Jaidyn Stephenson celebrate another Magpies goal. Pic: Getty Images

AS recently as October, Chris Mayne was as far from playing senior football at a finals contender as any AFL player has ever been.

The single reason he was on Collingwood’s list was a contract that guaranteed him $1.5 million over the next three years.

In September his father lashed Nathan Buckley, saying Mayne was “thrown under the bus” after the coach said the Pies had a “decision to make” on his future.

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A month later, the Pies considered the most extraordinary fire sale to get rid of him.

According to Fox Footy, under “loose discussions” they were prepared to hand over a second-round pick so Fremantle would take Mayne and his remaining contract in a “salary dump”.

On Monday as Collingwood surged into flag contention, Mayne was surging up and down the MCG wing as a key player in that surge.

In perhaps the ultimate symbol of Collingwood’s resurgence, Mayne has been recast by senior coach Buckley as a role-playing defensive wingman.

After slimming down by as much as 5kg with a new vegan diet, Mayne is allowing his more offensive teammates to cut rivals like Melbourne to ribbons.

After seven straight games he is averaging career-high possessions (17.6), rating elite in pressure and, compared to all wingmen, is above average for tackles (3.7), score assists and score involvements.

Of all AFL wingmen, he is behind only Jack Graham when ranked on his ability to apply pressure.

Chris Mayne has been reinvigorated as a wingman.

And he might not even be the best story at Collingwood this year.

Fans have accused the media of death-riding Buckley last year, but given his track record of constantly shrinking season wins and a muddled game plan, it was hard to see how he was recontracted.

Journalists locked in their own industry struggle that a resurgent Collingwood is good for business — they are a joy to cover and good for the football economy.

When they won the flag in 2010 they were a juggernaut mixing great access, Eddie McGuire’s presence, thrilling football and Mick Malthouse’s headlines.

Imagine the storylines in the MCG rooms if Collingwood managed to pull off the most unlikely of premiership wins in September.

Nathan Buckley looked gone at stages in 2017. Pic: AAP

— A COACH written off and mocked, yet kept on in a review by sheer people power after the players to a man told reviewers they were backing Buckley.

— A FORWARD line robbed of its key starters through injury but retooled with a quartet of brilliant youthful forwards thriving on midfield flow.

Collingwood’s leading scorers are Will Hoskin Elliott (27 goals), Josh Thomas (20 goals), Jaidyn Stephenson (18 goals) and Jordan De Goey (16 goals), none of them over 191cm.

— A BRASH, strutting 211cm American (the tallest in football) who had the MCG chanting “USA, USA” on Monday after kicking five goals with peerless marking and flawless kicking.

After conquering soccer with the feeder side for MLS team FC Dallas then going to the elite NCAA championships as a basketballer, Mason Cox has become an AFL weapon. You couldn’t make that up.

— A PLAYER who drove Ubers while serving a two-year drug ban after unwittingly taking a banned substance while partying at the St Kilda festival.

Collingwood’s decision to retain Josh Thomas on its rookie list was seen by some as charity, yet a player on a base of just over $100,000 is roaring up the charts.

Mason Cox has become the focal point of the Pies’ front half. Pic: Michael Klein

Jordan De Goey tore the Dees apart.

— A PARTIALLY redeemed bad boy in Jordan De Goey, who by September will have signed on in the ultimate show of faith in a club whose tough love turned him around.

— A TOP-10 draft pick who endured four surgeries — on both knees and both feet — and despite turning 23 in September has played only 25 games.

Matt Scharenberg is helping hold up the backline with a recast high-flyer (Jeremy Howe) and a full back reject (Lynden Dunn) even Melbourne didn’t want.

All three of them are in career-best form for a team which in Round 4 last year was cut to ribbons by none other than St Kilda.

In journalism the media pack barracks for the story, and it’s hard to find a better story than Collingwood’s rise up the ladder after four barren seasons.

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Originally published as Chris Mayne among the great storylines as Collingwood surges into finals contention