Ins: Ed Allan (NAB Draft Pick 19), Billy Frampton (Trade, Adelaide), Bobby Hill (Trade, Greater Western Sydney), Dan McStay (Free Agent, Brisbane), Tom Mitchell (Trade, Hawthorn), Joe Richards (NAB Draft, Pick 48), Jakob Ryan (NAB Draft, Pick 28), Oscar Steene (Pre-Season Supplemental Selection)
Outs:
Callum Brown (Delisted), Tyler Brown (Delisted), Isaac Chugg (Delisted), Brodie Grundy (Trade, Melbourne), Ollie Henry (Trade, Geelong), Jack Madgen (Delisted), Liam McMahon (Delisted), Caleb Poulter (Delisted), Jordan Roughead (Retired)
Draw) : Based on the new weighted fixture brought in for 2023, Collingwood statistically have the 3rd hardest draw. The Pies will face Adelaide, Brisbane, Carlton, Essendon, Geelong and Port Adelaide twice throughout the season.
Forwards: Aiden Begg*, Mason Cox, Jamie Elliott, Jack Ginnivan, Harvey Harrison, Bobby Hill, Will Hoskin-Elliott, Ash Johnson*, Nathan Kreuger, Beau McCreery, Reef McInnes, Dan McStay, Brody Mihocek
Midfielders: Taylor Adams, Edward Allan, Trent Bianco, Josh Carmichael*, Jack Crisp, Josh Daicos, Jordan De Goey, Patrick Lipinski, Finlay Macrae, Tom Mitchell, Cooper Murley*, Scott Pendlebury, Joe Richards, Steele Sidebottom
Rucks: Darcy Cameron, Oscar Steene
Defence: Nick Daicos, Charlie Dean*, Arlo Draper, Billy Frampton, Jeremy Howe, Will Kelly, Brayden Maynard, Darcy Moore, Nathan Murphy, John Noble, Isaac Quaynor, Trey Ruscoe, Jakob Ryan, Tom Wilson*
* Indicates rookie/long term injury listed player
Ones to watch: Tom Mitchell immediately slots into an already talented midfield at the Pies. Mitchell feels like he is a veteran yet is only 29 years old. He will provide increased grunt around stoppages and add to their ability to win clearances. Bobby Hill will be looking forward to getting back to his best football at a new club, after a tough couple of years on and off field for the exciting small forward.
Strengths: The Pies backline boasts many stars such as Scott Pendlebury, Darcy Moore, Jeremy Howe and Nick Daicos. All four of these players have the ability to turn defence into attack in a heartbeat and distribute the ball effectively moving forward. They also have X Factor galore with the like of Jordan De Goey, Jack Ginnivan, and Jamie Elliott who can all turn a game in their favour with a 10-minute burst. The Pies have also shown the ability to score quickly whilst having momentum of games, often coming from behind in the last quarter and running teams off their legs.
Weaknesses: With the loss of Brodie Grundy, Collingwood are heaping a big load onto the shoulders of Darcy Cameron who had a fantastic year in 2022. If he was to go down with injury it would mean Mason Cox would have to take majority of the ruck load, something the Pies fans and coaching staff wouldn’t want to happen. The Pies will also be looking for a big year from their new recruit Dan McStay. As good as the Pies were last year, at times they lacked a big key forward to take contested marks, often putting the load onto Jamie Elliott and Jordan De Goey.
General thoughts: To nearly everyone’s surprise, Collingwood had a fantastic 2022. Not even the most one-eyed Pies supporter would have predicted them to finish top 4 last year. Winning 9 games under 7pts in a season is nearly unheard of and goes to show how important belief and momentum is during a season. Jordan De Goey had one his best years, standing up in nearly every big game that the Pies had. If Collingwood are to make finals again in 2023, De Goey must keep himself on the park and continue to add consistency to his game.
Coach Pressure Gauge: 1/10 – What a first year it was for Craig McRae. The way the Pies played last year made them nearly everyone’s second-favourite team, something never really associated with Collingwood. They played an attacking, exciting brand of footy that suited their young list, often running teams off their legs. Although they exceeded expectations by finishing top 4 in 2022, they will be eyeing off a finals appearance again in 2023.
Breakout year : Beau McCreery, Bobby Hill
B&F Winner: Brayden Maynard
Fantasy relevant:
Tom Mitchell – $853,000 -Mid
Nick Daicos – $769,000 – Def
Darcy Cameron – $725,000 – Ruck/Fwd
Finishing spot prediction: 8th
