Do Collingwood need to enter a rebuild phase?

[Strapping Young Lad]

I feel we have young players coming through but this year is when we find out if that's bulldust.

Who?

 

[WillHayward]

This is funny.
Now let me see which top rated youngsters on the Pies list will push into their top ten, compared to the 4-5 I could name for Hawthorn.

I may end up with egg on my face but I have a sneaking suspicion Ned Long is not going to be much good . Already peaked.

 

[Chip Scab1]

This is funny.
Now let me see which top rated youngsters on the Pies list will push into their top ten, compared to the 4-5 I could name for Hawthorn.

Please. Collingwould have superstars on every line.

You should know this by now.

 

[Strapping Young Lad]

I may end up with egg on my face but I have a sneaking suspicion Ned Long is not going to be much good . Already peaked.

They need him to be. They have the worst under 25 brigade in the comp.

 

[Chip Scab1]

They need him to be. They have the worst under 25 brigade in the comp.

I think they have got more than Richmond!

 

[Mynamesinuse]

So the Lions age profile and number of players over 30 isn't a concern?

Do they not have a tipping point?

You’re clearly being obtuse.

 

[Pleasedontfail11]

This is funny.
Now let me see which top rated youngsters on the Pies list will push into their top ten, compared to the 4-5 I could name for Hawthorn.

What's young? Last year we had Daicos, Long and Quaynor in the top 10 at the best and fairest. Next year who knows? I dont think we need them to be top 10 but certainly a few will be given a chance at the best 22.
Likely suspects will be:
Harrison back from ACL just got 3rd in our fitness test at the club and was 1st in his draft class for the 20 metre sprint. Previously has shown some nice skills at AFL level especially around goal. Was in and out of the side in 2024 but played some good games in patches.
Allan picked up a rising star nod in 2025. But needs to be more consistent. Played about 15 games last year mostly off the wing. Elite speed and fitness. He is similar to Harrison in that regard.
R Steele was a mid year selection from last year and he played a few AFL games late and looked really good in those games. Good combo of neat skills and speed on the outside.
Parker played about 5 games last year as a Cat B rookie. He was really showing something in a few of them. With a little improvement he looks ready.
Buller played 9? games for Sydney and looks the reason for not retaining Cox. Looks AFL standard to me but it's impossible to know if he will kick on.
One of the possible reasons we didn't fight to hard for Mihocek was because of West. He has only played 1 game and he did struggle a little with his foot last year but he looked very handy at VFL. Still very young at 19 years old.

 

[doppleganger]

This is funny.
Now let me see which top rated youngsters on the Pies list will push into their top ten, compared to the 4-5 I could name for Hawthorn.

I'd imagine the Pies top 10 in the BnF will come from our 24 players on our 2026 list who were born between 1995 (age 30/31) and 2003 (age 22/23).

The difference with the Pies is our 21-24 year players (outside of Daicos) haven't played many games...we do need a few to make the jump.

 

[Mynamesinuse]

I'd imagine the Pies top 10 in the BnF will come from our 24 players on our 2026 list who were born between 1995 (age 30/31) and 2003 (age 22/23).

The difference with the Pies is our 21-24 year players (outside of Daicos) haven't played many games...we do need a few to make the jump.

That’s the issue the players aren’t of a standard to warrant inclusion. Even when senior players had dips in form they had to remain in the senior team.

 

[WalshistheGOAT]

Who?

Unfortunately they don't exist.

 

[WillHayward]

They need him to be. They have the worst under 25 brigade in the comp.

De Mattia and West look promising

I'm very iffy on Long. Slow and can't kick.

 

[Cyclops]

Who?

Been over this multiple times itt, argument is getting circular. I think Reef is a longshot but worth the punt, , HH is good, Allan and HDM have been allowed to mature in the 2s, theres others the club has faith in.

 

[Strapping Young Lad]

I'd imagine the Pies top 10 in the BnF will come from our 24 players on our 2026 list who were born between 1995 (age 30/31) and 2003 (age 22/23).

The difference with the Pies is our 21-24 year players (outside of Daicos) haven't played many games...we do need a few to make the jump.

Exactly the point.
Collingwood relies on a number of players who are not going to get any better, they’re either playing their best footy, or have played it.
Nick Daicos the only exception.

Collingwood do not have many if any players in the under 25 brigade to bridge the gap that will come as the over 28’s either decline or leave the list, and have already had 3 trade targets who might have helped in this regard turn their back on them.

And as others have said, if Collingwood fall away even slightly in 2026 the likelihood of targets wanting to jump to the oldest list in the comp that’s in decline is not very high at all.

 

[Mynamesinuse]

Leave this here

 

[dean33]

Might squeeze into 10th and if they face either west coast or north first up anything could happen...

 

[Strapping Young Lad]

What's young? Last year we had Daicos, Long and Quaynor in the top 10 at the best and fairest. Next year who knows? I dont think we need them to be top 10 but certainly a few will be given a chance at the best 22.
Likely suspects will be:
Harrison back from ACL just got 3rd in our fitness test at the club and was 1st in his draft class for the 20 metre sprint. Previously has shown some nice skills at AFL level especially around goal. Was in and out of the side in 2024 but played some good games in patches.
Allan picked up a rising star nod in 2025. But needs to be more consistent. Played about 15 games last year mostly off the wing. Elite speed and fitness. He is similar to Harrison in that regard.
R Steele was a mid year selection from last year and he played a few AFL games late and looked really good in those games. Good combo of neat skills and speed on the outside.
Parker played about 5 games last year as a Cat B rookie. He was really showing something in a few of them. With a little improvement he looks ready.
Buller played 9? games for Sydney and looks the reason for not retaining Cox. Looks AFL standard to me but it's impossible to know if he will kick on.
One of the possible reasons we didn't fight to hard for Mihocek was because of West. He has only played 1 game and he did struggle a little with his foot last year but he looked very handy at VFL. Still very young at 19 years old.

Young? I’m probably thinking under 23, but also in this instance I’ve been saying under 25, because in a lot of cases players are hitting their peak or getting close to it by 25. In saying that though I'm not simply saying players under 25, I'm talking about players with high end talent.

I don’t know if any of the players who you’ve mentioned are capable of top 10 B&F placings, possibly 1 or 2 at best and probably only in 3+ years time when you're most likely outside of finals.

Again though, most clubs have at least 2-3 players taken in the top 10-15 of the draft, with elite talent who they are banking on to step up and in to senior roles.

I dont see this at Collingwood.

 

[Corn Cobbers]

So when does this "cliff" thingy arrive and how long does it last for?

 

[Lockyer24]

Having the best u25 team isn’t something to hang your hat on, in fact it’s more likely a sign you haven’t been near Prelim final day in a while.

Our version of a rebuild or build on the run is different to others. We value trades, free agents over early picks.

We do have an unusually old list, so there’s no doubt there will be an adjustment period where we have to replace a large part of the list in a short time. Maybe it’s the right time to do that in a year we aren’t challenging, and our draft hand is higher up the board. Doing it in a year we were a dodgy umpiring decision and a good quarter off a GF, and a billion nepo babies in the draft probably wasn’t.

But don’t bank on us going the full Richmond strategy while Leppitsch and McRae are there. If we have a draft pick out of the top 3-4 it’ll likely be traded.

 

[Seattle Mariners]

Yes.

 

[Robertio]

So when does this "cliff" thingy arrive and how long does it last for?

Last June and a decade.

 

[Pleasedontfail11]

I don’t know if any of the players who you’ve mentioned are capable of top 10 B&F placings, possibly 1 or 2 at best and probably only in 3+ years time when you're most likely outside of finals.

Again though, most clubs have at least 2-3 players taken in the top 10-15 of the draft, with elite talent who they are banking on to step up and in to senior roles.

I dont see this at Collingwood.

I feel the top paragraph sums up what most non Collingwood posters know about our young players. They just don't know anything about them. Are they capable? Maybe. Can anyone else apart from Daicos be A grade?
Don't get me wrong I see where you are coming from. We haven't got the top picks most clubs have. On top of that most of our picks haven't played much at AFL level either because they haven't been good enough or because the more mature players have been preferred.
We have definitely lost solid youngish afl players because other more mature players were preferred or because they liked their chances at other clubs. Examples Ginnivan, Henry, Richards and Noble.
This year should be interesting for my club. I'm hoping we can introduce a few new players have a few more establish themselves by playing most games and still finished at the pointy end. None of these things are guaranteed.

 

[Corn Cobbers]

Last June and a decade.

How many teams at the bottom of a cliff have won a QF?

It may be a cliff for us, we had a late-season slump, probably over now

 

[Robertio]

How many teams at the bottom of a cliff have won a QF?

It may be a cliff for us, we had a late-season slump, probably over now

 

[Corn Cobbers]

Take it to the banter thread sport

There may be a cliff coming someday but there is no evidence to suggest it is here or even close

Still playing well in finals and have the comp's best player, a true generational talent

Plus we're a destination club

Look up and you'll see us

 

[Worm4]

Take it to the banter thread sport

There may be a cliff coming someday but there is no evidence to suggest it is here or even close

Still playing well in finals and have the comp's best player, a true generational talent

Plus we're a destination club

Stop telling fibs. Only collingwood supporters , mainly, agree with you