AFL 2024: Tom Mitchell fronts up to criticism of winless Collingwood

Veteran Collingwood players have been in the spotlight during the club’s winless start to the year, with one of the elder Magpies saying it’s more than fair.

Collingwood veteran Tom Mitchell says it is fair that older Magpies are bearing the brunt of a winless start to the season.

The heat has come for a number of premiership Pies after a 0-3 start, with an all-important Easter Thursday clash looming in Brisbane.

Mitchell himself has seen his output decline in his two games this year, with his numbers crashing from a disposal average of 25 last year to just 13 through two matches, which includes opening round when he was subbed out with just nine touches.

Tom Mitchell has a slow start to the season along with some other older Pies. Picture: Darrian Traynor/Getty Images.

Fellow elder statesmen Scott Pendlebury, Steele Sidebottom and Jack Crisp have also fallen away to start 2024.

The Magpies have the oldest list in the competition, with an average age of 25.9, and eight over-30 players – Pendlebury, Sidebottom, Crisp, Jeremy Howe, Mitchell, Jamie Elliott, Mason Cox and Brody Mihocek – played last week against St Kilda.

Mitchell said it was fair for those players to have the spotlight on them.

“I think as senior players you want to lead by example and generally the older players are the ones with more experience,” he said.

“You want to lead the way and a number of players have recognised they want to step up and hopefully we can start to see some inroads from a number of players.”

Jack Crisp’s output has dropped to start this season. Picture: Michael Willson/AFL Photos via Getty Images.

Mitchell, who will play his 200th AFL game on Thursday, said the Pies had zeroed in on the basics after coach Craig McRae criticised their fundamentals in last week’s loss to St Kilda.

“We went through some vision throughout the week, just of some critical errors we have been making and some things that are in our control that we can get on top of,” Mitchell said.

“They are things that have been trained this week and things we are looking to rectify.”

While the Magpies ran out of steam, a strong second quarter showed Mitchell that his team was still capable of their best.

Defender Billy Frampton also said the defensive unit had taken a step forward as it prepares to face a fearsome Lions unit led by Joe Daniher and Charlie Cameron.

“That has been a massive focus for our backline, working together and working out how to get a good block in for each other,” he said.

“In the first half (against St Kilda) especially I had Darce (Darcy Moore) and Howie (Jeremy Howe) coming over and helping me and not getting stuck in 1v1s.”

After a strong performance against Saints spearhead Max King, Frampton said he had been able to shrug off being overlook at selection in the opening two matches.

“That is how my career has panned out but I know if you keep working and stay positive it can turn at some point,” he said.

Originally published as AFL 2024: Tom Mitchell fronts up to criticism of winless Collingwood