High-flying Howe earns a rest as Pies eye finals

Fresh from another starring role for Collingwood, Jeremy Howe is looking forward to letting his mind drift for a few days.

High flyer Jeremy Howe is part of a firing Collingwood defence

Fresh from another starring role for Collingwood, high-flying defender Jeremy Howe is looking forward to letting his mind drift for a few days.

Collingwood head into the mid-season draft in sixth spot, just one win behind second-placed Richmond, well-positioned to play finals for the first time in five years.

Having surged into contention after winning eight of their past 10 games, Collingwood can challenge for a top-four spot in upcoming games against Carlton, Gold Coast and Essendon.

Collingwood’s players have the rest of this week off after yesterday reviewing their comprehensive 42-point defeat of Melbourne.

Howe told The Australian: “The old man always wants me to head home (to Tasmania) but I am heading to Byron Bay, taking the lovely away for a few nights.

“It is good to get away from footy … the four days you get off in the middle of the year.

“Everyone is pretty fatigued at this stage, so it is a really good time to relax and chill out, get the recovery sorted.

“(I want) to get as far away from footy as possible but when we get back, it is straight into it, because we have the Blues first game back.

“It is an important month straight after we get back, so we can’t afford to drop our intensity.”

Howe, who was recruited from Melbourne, has extra reason to celebrate after the Magpies’ sterling ­performance at the MCG on Monday.

“It is my first Queen’s Birthday win. I’m now one and seven. It is great to get a win,” he said.

“More importantly, for us as a team, what we have been building for the last seven to eight weeks has been really good and to go into the bye with a win and play the way we wanted to play is great.

“It was going to be an arm wrestle at times but to be able to stop them scoring given they are such an offensive juggernaut, we rate our defence and we felt like it stacked up.’’

Howe and former Demon Lynden Dunn are providing strong leadership in a Collingwood defence that is significantly improved on last season.

Collingwood are one win away from matching last season’s tally of victories.

There has been a lift in the connection between Collingwood’s midfielders and forwards, making their variety of options in attack difficult to counter.

The Magpies are averaging ­almost 96 points per match, eight more than last season. They are restricting their opponents to 81 points a match, a decrease of eight on 2017.

On a pure numerical basis, the Magpies are almost three goals per match better than last year.

Collingwood coach Nathan Buckley paid tribute to Howe and his defence and praised the impact former first round draft pick Matthew Scharenberg has had this season.

The South Australian had a horror run with injuries initially at Collingwood but is now showing why he was considered one of the best young talents in the land in his draft season.

“Since earning his opportunity, his pre-season was slowish but he was building, and we have to expect that because he has missed a lot of footy, I think he and Dunny have been able to hold the fort ­really well against all comers,” Buckley said.

“They seem to be a pair that work well together and with Howey around the mark, I think our back six are just working well together.

“They are getting good support, a lot of pressure on the ball from the forwards and the mids, and when the ball looks like it is moving through the midfield, we are getting back to support our back six pretty well.”

As one of the defensive leaders, Howe is pleased Scharenberg is getting the opportunity to demonstrate his talent. “Shaz has been super,’’ he said.

“It is probably the first real opportunity he has had to get a good run at it and get continuity with his body.

“He was a high draft pick. Personally, from what I have seen, He works harder than anyone I have ever seen.

“He works on his craft hard and I have loved every minute playing with him. He is so underrated and he is one of the reasons why we are playing so well.

“Most of the time he is undersized — he is playing on some big fellas — but he gets the job done.”

The only negative for Collingwood is that a foot surgery will likely end veteran Daniel Wells’ season.

Wells hobbled from the MCG in the second quarter of Monday’s game against Melbourne.

He played out the match but scans revealed high-grade damage to the Lisfranc ligament in his left foot and related bone separation.

“Clearly, it’s a bitter pill for Daniel to swallow,” said Collingwood football manager Geoff Walsh. “He had spent a lot of time getting into strong physical shape and, back in the team, he was working his way into the season.”