Make Collingwood great again: The one move that can improve the Pies in 2024

After just 48 senior games, Nick Daicos has already earned an AFL premiership

medal. It’s likely that the Collingwood star will win a Brownlow Medal before

adding further premierships to his resume.

 

Whichever medal he would want, we all know it. But is Daicos prepared to give

up his impressive individual numbers in

order to alter his style of play and

strengthen Collingwood’s defense in the Premiership?

 

If the Pies are going to get better, they need him to.

AFL premierships are hard to win. Back-to-back flags are even harder.

Collingwood are no longer the hunters. The 2023 premiership leaves coach Craig

McRae looking at opposition teams putting targets on his players’ backs –

they are the measuring stick for 17 other teams.

To avoid being brought down, they need much

more than luck, talent and

strategy. They must evolve, innovate and adapt.

 

After a sobering 32-point loss to last year’s preliminary finalists, GWS, on

Saturday, McRae didn’t mince his words in his post-game analysis, highlighting the need for continual improvement.

“Coming into the game, we thought we’d improved, physically, and then you get

here and you get reality is that everyone else is improving,” he said.

 

So how can a team that wowed us with its electric

game style, speed, composure

in clutch moments and an unwavering belief in securing wins from seemingly

insurmountable deficits get better and keep the chasing pack at bay?

The answer is in Daicos.

 

There is a compelling argument for unleashing Daicos’ magic by turning

back the clock. Send him forward, reviving memories of his father Peter’s

reign of terror on opposition defences during the ’90s.

 

In Nick Daicos’ first two seasons at Collingwood, he has predominantly

inflicted his damage across half-back and in the midfield.

Last season, he played 41 per cent of game time in defence, 51 per cent in the midfield and just 8 per cent in attack.

A breakdown of where he gathers his disposals shows that he gets 21 per cent

in defensive 50, 39 per cent in the back half, 31 per cent in the forward half and only 9 per cent inside forward 50.

 

On Saturday, Daicos played 100 per cent of his game time in the midfield. His numbers were impressive – 34 disposals

and 10 clearances. He was clearly the Magpies’ best player – but they still lost.

And the forward line, lacking a match winner, never looked threatening.

 

For Collingwood to improve in 2024, Daicos needs to be that match winner

and should split his positional time with 60 per cent forward and 40 per cent in

the midfield. The change for the team would be significant.

Part of any club’s pre-game planning is the question: what would the opposition

least like us to do? It’s obvious opponents would much rather Daicos kicking the

ball from full-back and getting the bulk of his possessions in the back half rather

than streaming inside 50 looking for a target or

kicking for goal on the run.

So why give the opposition what they want?

 

With forward Dan McStay missing this season due to a knee injury there are

questions as to how Collingwood will assemble an effective forward mix. Ash

Johnson was given first opportunity as McStay’s replacement last week, but

managed just two disposals. Ruck-forward

Mason Cox was equally poor.

Collingwood may be forced to go with a smaller, more dynamic forward line just as Richmond did in their 2017

premiership season. That year the Tigers had Jack Riewoldt as the only key

forward and surrounded him with speedy, dangerous smalls.

 

Collingwood could replicate that structure with Daicos, Jamie Elliot, recruit Lachie Schultz, Norm Smith

medallist Bobby Hill, Beau McCreery – and Brody Mihocek as the sole key

forward. It looks far more potent than what was wheeled out against the Giants.

Richmond, where McRae worked as a coach in Damien Hardwick’s panel, are again the model for Collingwood to look

at when deciding how best to play Daicos. In the Tigers’ 2017 premiership

year, superstar Dustin Martin won the Norm Smith and Brownlow medals. The

majority Martin’s possessions were in the forward half; he rarely roamed past the

centre circle to the defensive half. He and the team knew he was wasted there.

 

Martin saved his energy and unleashed maximum damage in attack. In that

record-breaking season Martin kicked 37 goals and had 29 goal assists. He recorded an astounding 150 inside 50s.

 

Daicos last year kicked 19 goals, had 13 goals assists and sent the ball inside 50 83 times.

Daicos is not Martin, but he is good enough to replicate Martin’s 2017

numbers. He is capable of kicking 40-plus goals as a forward-midfielder.

 

And Collingwood do have the personnel to replace Daicos in the midfield.

Fourth-year midfielder Finlay Macrae was overlooked at the selection table last

week, but must be unleashed after an exceptional pre-season that had his

coaches and teammates predicting the youngster to have a breakout season.

Macrae, Jack Crisp, veteran Steele Sidebottom, McCreery, Tom Mitchell,

Jordan De Goey and Scott Pendlebury could fill the void.

 

As Collingwood embark on their quest for back-to-back premierships and a place alongside the best teams of the

2000s – Hawthorn, Geelong and Richmond – the strategic deployment of

Daicos emerges as a pivotal factor in achieving this goal.

 

Daicos’ possessions are wasted in defence. It is time to start judging him on the scoreboard.