Alarming footage exposes Collingwood stars amid AFL finals reality check

Collingwood fans had little to cheer as the Giants demolished them in the opening round and alarming foorage from the game will do little to ease concerns.

Collingwood’s star midfield has been challenged for not running both ways in Sunday’s Opening Round defeat to GWS amid concerns whether its ageing group still possesses the hunger to contend.

The Magpies’ wayward kicking in front of goal was a problem for most of the Engie Stadium game, before Craig McRae’s side fell away badly in the fourth quarter, conceding six goals to two to fall by 52 points.

Watch your club in the 2025 Toyota AFL Premiership Season. Stream every round LIVE in 4K, with no ad-breaks during play, on Kayo Sports. New to Kayo? Get your first month for just $1. Limited-time offer.

It was a sour start to the season for Collingwood after the Pies were widely tipped to bounce back in 2025 following last year’s finals miss as reigning premiers, with all their veterans playing on amid a busy off-season of recruiting.

While GWS’ exciting running power led by Finn Callaghan was a highlight from Sunday’s showdown, Kangaroos legend David King raised “alarm bells” on “the flip side of the coin” as Collingwood’s gun on-ballers were too easily picked apart.

“Have a look at the Collingwood midfielders and lack of speed and intent. The poor attitude to put the clamps on the Giants once they broke from stoppage. Alarm bells for me … where are they?” King said on Fox Footy’s The First Crack.

You can watch the alarming footage in the player above.

Josh Daicos and his fellow Collingwood stars have been called out for a lack of effort. Image: Getty/Fox Footy

“I felt sorry for the Collingwood back six at times, that’s just way too easy.

“Maybe we start to see the first signs of the lack of intent and lack of attitude to defend. Real concern for me.

“Sometimes players that have had success don’t want to pay the ultimate price again.

“It’s very early, no need for grand statements. But if we see this again in the next couple of weeks, we’ll say they need to make wholesale changes to this starting seven midfielders.”

Pies superstar Nick Daicos was down on his superb best form, cramping badly in the heated conditions and at times unable to run to contests.

Nick Daicos struggled in the heat on Sunday. (Photo by Darrian Traynor/Getty Images)

Daicos wasn’t the only Magpie that struggled, with King noting he “could’ve shown 15 edits” of fellow stars including Scott Pendlebury and Josh Daicos “not having the same desire” to commit to the defensive side of the game.

“These guys are high level talent, so we’re not going to sit here on the back of four quarters of footy – one impacted by severe cramp. We’ll give them a mulligan on this one,” King said.

“But they’re on high alert. If this is Collingwood in 2025, don’t worry about September.”

Dual All-Australian Saint Leigh Montagna was also discouraged by the Magpies’ lack of defensive buy in.

“Some players are capable of having the leg speed to chase and defend and there’s the want. It was a combination both,” he said.

“It is a watch early on, because the Pies were disappointing.”

McRae’s men will hope to bounce back against Port Adelaide this week when Dan Houston pulls on the black and white jumper for the first time against his old side, however Jordan De Goey is touch and go following an injury interrupted pre-season.

Originally published as Alarming footage exposes Collingwood stars amid AFL finals reality check