Do Collingwood need to enter a rebuild phase?

[Pleasedontfail11]

No, I don't. You can, of course.

I'm purely talking about one aspect of list improvement, which is the draft.

Sure you can just talk about the draft but it's less than half the story when it comes to the way Collingwood have rebuilt over the Mcrae era.

 

[Robertio]

Yawn.....same old same old....you say it every year and we keep proving you wrong.

Well I guess even a broken watch tells the correct time once a day....so keep guessing and hoping and we'll just keep doing our thing.

This mindset is what i love, will be impossible to replace everyone over the next few seasons going to be a fun watch.

 

[Robertio]

You also need to take trades into consideration.
In the same time period we have traded in the following regularly playing players:
Lipinski
McStay
Hill
Frampton
Schultz
Perryman
Houston
Membrey

Add Daicos and McCreery to that list and that's half a team replaced in 4 years. We also just added Buller. That in my book is quite sustainable.

Jury is out on Houston, Perryman, Membry, and can Hill get back to the 2023 GF form on a regular basis, i doubt it.

 

[Golumless]

The point of a rebuild would be to hit a Naicos like player to build around, so seems kind of pointless for Collingwood.

They'll have one or two down years eventually, but once you have that superstar, it's go time.

 

[RUNVS]

From a demographics point of view Collingwood are not in great shape.

Their youngest player who has played more than 5 games is Allan and he will be almost 22 years old at the start of the 2026 season.

 

[Trav 20]

Sure you can just talk about the draft but it's less than half the story when it comes to the way Collingwood have rebuilt over the Mcrae era.

Do you think you're the only team to recruit some B graders ?

Your drafting is horrible and most other clubs are also bringing in senior experience.

 

[Tarkyn_24]

This mindset is what i love, will be impossible to replace everyone over the next few seasons going to be a fun watch.

Oh well I guess we’ll just have to play with fifteen on the field.

We’d still belt you.

 

[Robertio]

Oh well I guess we’ll just have to play with fifteen on the field.

We’d still belt you.

Nah not now we've got Liam Reidy.

 

[Tarkyn_24]

Nah not now we've got Liam Reidy.

I’ve often heard him referred to as the Nick Daicos of ruckmen.

I just assumed it meant he couldn’t take a contested mark.

 

[Robertio]

I’ve often heard him referred to as the Nick Daicos of ruckmen.

I just assumed it meant he couldn’t take a contested mark.

I've seen his highlights, a great contested mark but they don't show any hitouts, I'm a little worried.

 

[Tarkyn_24]

I've seen his highlights, a great contested mark but they don't show any hitouts, I'm a little worried.

You should be. Reidy will make or break the era of absolute dominance you’re about to embark on

Edit: wait did you mean Daicos?

 

[Robertio]

You should be. Reidy will make or break the era of absolute dominance you’re about to embark on

Edit: wait did you mean Daicos?

We can match Daicos now we also have Ollie Florent bye bye Pies.

 

[JPetro83]

I think they will just keep topping up or trying to top up as they go.

 

[Pleasedontfail11]

Do you think you're the only team to recruit some B graders ?

Your drafting is horrible and most other clubs are also bringing in senior experience.

Yep your clearly right. We have turned over half the team in 4 years and we still suck.

Checks finishes over the years that McCrae has been coach
2022 4th
2023 1st
2024 9th
2025 4th

Serious though if you check drafting usually only about 1 in 3 players usually make it as an AFL player and it's a bit early to dismiss the players you have mentioned because it has been very hard to get a spot in our team. They will get more of an opportunity this year.

 

[Pleasedontfail11]

Jury is out on Houston, Perryman, Membry, and can Hill get back to the 2023 GF form on a regular basis, i doubt it.

Jury is still out on players who have performed well across their AFL careers?
This post looks like someone with a vape full of hopeium.

 

[Rob R]

Bottom 4 in 2026, gaps appearing across the field and no young kids looking likely to fill them.

 

[Purple Suit]

You also need to take trades into consideration.
In the same time period we have traded in the following regularly playing players:
Lipinski
McStay
Hill
Frampton
Schultz
Perryman
Houston
Membrey

Add Daicos and McCreery to that list and that's half a team replaced in 4 years. We also just added Buller. That in my book is quite sustainable.

It's not sustainable to get only 1 AFL standard player a year out of the draft. The Pies have bucked the trend by getting more years out of Pendles & Sidebottom, plus a generational F/S but it is going to come to an end soon.

Sure, you recruiting some cheap players but they are role players around the guns. The guns will retire soon, the balance will shift and the team will then drop off rapidly. Recruits then dry up too if you are bad for 2 years in a row and look like getting worse no matter who you are.

You lost a few soldiers this year to retirement or trades who would normally play a lot of games. I had a quick check, 66 games they played last year, that's basically 3 players who have to come from a group with no experience or the late draft picks this year. Jack Buller the only recruit and he played 9 last season for Sydney.

In comparison, Freo lost 14 games worth from last season and we have recruited a player in Judd McVee who played 17 and have a lot of good youth who are busting for games.

I think the Pies are in trouble as you will likely have more retirements to come and lose a similar 70+ games next season to replace without any replacements screaming out to be picked. If you get a decent run of injuries to your stars it could get ugly.

 

[NeutralFan]

Whilst you have Nick Daicos, you don't rebuild

 

[Fadge]

In comparison, Freo lost 14 games worth from last season and we have recruited a player in Judd McVee who played 17 and have a lot of good youth who are busting for games.

Are you forgetting Mason Cox?

Surely not!

 

[Pleasedontfail11]

It's not sustainable to get only 1 AFL standard player a year out of the draft. The Pies have bucked the trend by getting more years out of Pendles & Sidebottom, plus a generational F/S but it is going to come to an end soon.

Sure, you recruiting some cheap players but they are role players around the guns. The guns will retire soon, the balance will shift and the team will then drop off rapidly. Recruits then dry up too if you are bad for 2 years in a row and look like getting worse no matter who you are.

You lost a few soldiers this year to retirement or trades who would normally play a lot of games. I had a quick check, 66 games they played last year, that's basically 3 players who have to come from a group with no experience or the late draft picks this year. Jack Buller the only recruit and he played 9 last season for Sydney.

In comparison, Freo lost 14 games worth from last season and we have recruited a player in Judd McVee who played 17 and have a lot of good youth who are busting for games.

I think the Pies are in trouble as you will likely have more retirements to come and lose a similar 70+ games next season to replace without any replacements screaming out to be picked. If you get a decent run of injuries to your stars it could get ugly.

You could be right. We have lost some experience and regular players to retirement that may be hard to replace. We should get more games out of players like DeGoey, Roan Steele, Parker and hopefully Hill. Plus we hope to get back 2 players from ACL injuries (Harrison and McInnes). We need more improvement from Allan and we will have to put more AFL time into a few 1-4th year players for long term development/success.

 

[Pleasedontfail11]

Bottom 4 in 2026, gaps appearing across the field and no young kids looking likely to fill them.

Hawthorn won't be that bad in 2026. Maybe by 2028.

 

[Sir Hugh Percy]

The thread topic: “Is Collingwood’s strategy of not bringing in quality youth going to work in the FUTURE?”
Collingwood supporters: “Haha checkmate idiot, we'll be right coz' we’re fine right NOW!”

Yeah, cheers lads, brilliant stuff.
Because list management is clearly about the present only.
Aging core? Irrelevant. Succession planning? Optional. Time itself? A social construct.

West Coast and North both thought they wer going along fine as well. They just woke up one day repeatedly finishing bottom two because… vibes?

But hey, if the club keeps trading away picks for 28-year-olds and hoping genetics outrun the calendar, what could possibly go wrong? I’m sure the laws of ageing will graciously pause for Fly McRae.

 

[Cyclops]

Quietly hopeful that HH will have a breakout year. Reef is a longshot but one with massive potential.

Bottom line for me is the 2021 version of this thread which iirc had us rebuilding and missing finals for 4-5 years.

I have confidence we can fart higher than our arses again.

 

[Purple Suit]

Quietly hopeful that HH will have a breakout year. Reef is a longshot but one with massive potential.

Bottom line for me is the 2021 version of this thread which iirc had us rebuilding and missing finals for 4-5 years.

I have confidence we can fart higher than our arses again.

This sounds like WC fans in 2021 talking about everyone writing them off in 2017. It will then shift to "We never stay down for long" and before you know if you've turned into North and you then turn into Essendon since you can still pay overs for some recruits as they will come for the big lights.

 

[Robroy22]

This mindset is what i love, will be impossible to replace everyone over the next few seasons going to be a fun watch.

Why do we have to replace everyone? I'd have thought we'd only have to replace the ones we replace?