Strategy Best 23 - 2026

[PiCkLeJuiCe]

Seems pickle has been pickled and deleted his post .

Why wouldn’t we play a generational mid at hb incase he needs to kick the ball in…

Seems you are wrong

 

[well left]

I just watched the qualifying final. It's funny how you can forget how good your team was at times throughout the final series. We looked brilliant and grand final bound in that third term against the Crows. There were some awesome passages of play and so much to be excited about when you look at Houston who I would expect to be a far better player in 2026, Degoey if he gets a full preseason in and the addition of a fit and focused Bobby Hill. These players alone will make us an infinitely better team. I think Buller's extra height at CHF is going to be a welcome addition to a forward line which has lacked a decent sized key for years.

Harvey Harrison, Reef and Ed Allan should be pumped to the eyeballs and determined to make 2026 their year in becoming permanent fixtures in the best 23. Ned Long, Beau, Pendles, Josh and Nick with an occasional Sidey/Degoey in the middle should make for a more than decent midfield. The defense looks settled and hopefully Howe gets one last good run at it. Blight would be a welcome depth addition. Maynard, Perryman, Quaynor, Parker, Houston and Moore make for a bloody good backline and in no way an old one.

I reckon Cornes and company will be made to look stupid yet again.

I love being written off and rubbished. It's more fun than being rated as a big chance.

Yep. I get that we didn’t really do much trade period wise to improve and it’s easy to say we’re old and getting older but when you read that and you look at a best 23 it’s still a hard team to crack into.

Maybe Korn is saying we’re in trouble for a flag…. But I can’t see us not being competitive.

 

[Run n Spread]

Quanor Moore Parker
Jiath Maynard Perryman
Houston Allan J Daicos
Schultz Buller Hill
Elliot West Harrison
Cameron N Daicos Pendlebury

Sidebottom Dimattaia Long Steele Degoey

 

[WanderingDude]

Yep. I get that we didn’t really do much trade period wise to improve and it’s easy to say we’re old and getting older but when you read that and you look at a best 23 it’s still a hard team to crack into.

Maybe Korn is saying we’re in trouble for a flag…. But I can’t see us not being competitive.

Korn is an old scratched vinyl record of “lollipop”. Over and over and over…

 

[Jen2310]

B: B.Frampton, D.Moore, B.Maynard
HB: I.Quaynor, J.Howe, J.Daicos
C: D.Houston, J.De Goey, P.Lipinski
HF: B.McCreery, D.McStay, L.Schultz
F: B.Hill, T.Membrey, J.Elliott
FOLL: D.Cameron, N.Daicos, S.Pendlebury
I/C: H.Perryman, J.Crisp, S.Sidebottom, N.Long, C.West

Depth: Ed Allan, Wil Parker, Reef McInnes, Harvey Harrison, Roan Steele, Jack Buller
Ins: Jack Buller (Sydney)
Outs: Brody Mihocek

28

Brody Mihocek

Age

32

Ht

192cm

Wt

99kg

Pos.

Fwd

Career

Season

Last 5

D

11.9

3star

K

8.2

3star

HB

3.7

3star

M

5.3

5star

T

2.0

4star

G

1.6

5star

D

8.4

2star

K

6.3

3star

HB

2.1

2star

M

4.3

4star

T

1.9

3star

G

1.7

5star

D

10.2

3star

K

6.4

3star

HB

3.8

3star

M

4.6

5star

T

1.8

4star

G

1.6

5star

(Melbourne)
2025 draft picks: 39, 45, 56, 61, 77
So where is the improvement here for the Pies?
Given its age profile, Collingwood still has to be aiming for the flag next year.
The return of Bobby Hill will be important to a forwardline that became worryingly reliant on Jamie Elliott – who had a super year but will turn 34 before next September – and lost Brody Mihocek

28

Brody Mihocek

Age

32

Ht

192cm

Wt

99kg

Pos.

Fwd

Career

Season

Last 5

D

11.9

3star

K

8.2

3star

HB

3.7

3star

M

5.3

5star

T

2.0

4star

G

1.6

5star

D

8.4

2star

K

6.3

3star

HB

2.1

2star

M

4.3

4star

T

1.9

3star

G

1.7

5star

D

10.2

3star

K

6.4

3star

HB

3.8

3star

M

4.6

5star

T

1.8

4star

G

1.6

5star

.
Collingwood is hopeful Charlie West or Jack Buller can provide a bit.
The midfield slipped a rung and unless Jordan De Goey

2

Jordan De Goey

Age

29

Ht

188cm

Wt

93kg

Pos.

Mid

Career

Season

Last 5

D

16.7

4star

K

10.0

4star

HB

6.7

4star

M

3.9

4star

T

3.1

5star

CL

2.3

4star

D

15.8

4star

K

9.7

4star

HB

6.2

4star

M

2.8

3star

T

1.7

3star

CL

2.3

4star

D

11.6

3star

K

6.2

3star

HB

5.4

4star

M

1.4

2star

T

4.8

5star

CL

2.6

5star

is fully fit next year, it’s hard to see the Pies improving greatly around Nick Daicos.
This side is only getting older and not enough of its players are getting better, and the first call in the draft being pick 39 doesn’t help the cause either.
Craig McRae

Craig Mcrae

Age

52

Ht

176cm

Wt

73kg

Pos.

Fwd

Career

Season

Last 5

D

12.9

3star

K

9.0

3star

HB

3.9

3star

M

2.4

3star

T

1.9

4star

G

1.2

4star

No current season stats available

D

16.2

4star

K

10.6

4star

HB

5.6

4star

M

1.8

2star

T

1.2

3star

G

1.4

5star

will need to pull off a few tricks and few youngsters need to jump out of the box.

https://www.heraldsun.com.au/sport/afl/every-clubs-best-23-for-2026-after-the-afl-trade-period/news-story/b7f7e0687baa0d0ba57f720152e5f809

 

[riddick78]

B: B.Frampton, D.Moore, B.Maynard
HB: I.Quaynor, J.Howe, J.Daicos
C: D.Houston, J.De Goey, P.Lipinski
HF: B.McCreery, D.McStay, L.Schultz
F: B.Hill, T.Membrey, J.Elliott
FOLL: D.Cameron, N.Daicos, S.Pendlebury
I/C: H.Perryman, J.Crisp, S.Sidebottom, N.Long, C.West

Depth: Ed Allan, Wil Parker, Reef McInnes, Harvey Harrison, Roan Steele, Jack Buller
Ins: Jack Buller (Sydney)
Outs: Brody Mihocek (Melbourne)
2025 draft picks: 39, 45, 56, 61, 77
So where is the improvement here for the Pies?
Given its age profile, Collingwood still has to be aiming for the flag next year.
The return of Bobby Hill will be important to a forwardline that became worryingly reliant on Jamie Elliott – who had a super year but will turn 34 before next September – and lost Brody Mihocek.
Collingwood is hopeful Charlie West or Jack Buller can provide a bit.
The midfield slipped a rung and unless Jordan De Goey is fully fit next year, it’s hard to see the Pies improving greatly around Nick Daicos.
This side is only getting older and not enough of its players are getting better, and the first call in the draft being pick 39 doesn’t help the cause either.
Craig McRae will need to pull off a few tricks and few youngsters need to jump out of the box.

https://www.heraldsun.com.au/sport/afl/every-clubs-best-23-for-2026-after-the-afl-trade-period/news-story/b7f7e0687baa0d0ba57f720152e5f809

I just saw this and it's very frustrating. They ask where's the improvement, I guess they haven't heard about moving magnets around. I'd be disappointed if Steele and Pendles are playing every week in the midfield. I would want to see Perryman, Jaicos. Parker, Reef in the backline. R Steele on the wing (the kid player in a prelim after 5 games. I can think of plenty of options without having to primarily rely on Pendles, Howe or Sorry. Just cause we signed them this year, doesn't mean we are having one last tilt at a flag, it could be we are gonna transition to the kids.

So frustrating.

 

[Jen2310]

I just saw this and it's very frustrating. They ask where's the improvement, I guess they haven't heard about moving magnets around. I'd be disappointed if Steele and Pendles are playing every week in the midfield. I would want to see Perryman, Jaicos. Parker, Reef in the backline. R Steele on the wing (the kid player in a prelim after 5 games. I can think of plenty of options without having to primarily rely on Pendles, Howe or Sorry. Just cause we signed them this year, doesn't mean we are having one last tilt at a flag, it could be we are gonna transition to the kids.

So frustrating.

Keep in mind preseason is yet to start, so things will change very easily.
Pretty sure they wouldn't have had Reef as a starter after last trade period, but was when they put put their preseason predicted line ups.

 

[riddick78]

Keep in mind preseason is yet to start, so things will change very easily.
Pretty sure they wouldn't have had Reef as a starter after last trade period, but was when they put put their preseason predicted line ups.

Yeah I get that, but I thought Parker and R Steele showed a lot last year, Perryman was recruited as a mid, Jaicos can become an elite mid, there's quite a bit of improvement there without the unknowns of pre season. Hopefully Reef, West, JDG have a solid preseason and give the selectors something to think about.

I think we will see a different side next year.

 

[Jen2310]

Yeah I get that, but I thought Parker and R Steele showed a lot last year, Perryman was recruited as a mid, Jaicos can become an elite mid, there's quite a bit of improvement there without the unknowns of pre season. Hopefully Reef, West, JDG have a solid preseason and give the selectors something to think about.

I think we will see a different side next year.

I do think we'll see Peryrman, JD more time in the midfield. Who knows Allan could develop more of his inside game to play there gradually.

 

[Bianconeri]

I just saw this and it's very frustrating. They ask where's the improvement, I guess they haven't heard about moving magnets around. I'd be disappointed if Steele and Pendles are playing every week in the midfield. I would want to see Perryman, Jaicos. Parker, Reef in the backline. R Steele on the wing (the kid player in a prelim after 5 games. I can think of plenty of options without having to primarily rely on Pendles, Howe or Sorry. Just cause we signed them this year, doesn't mean we are having one last tilt at a flag, it could be we are gonna transition to the kids.

So frustrating.

The teams journos name are always terrible. They always end up being very conservative with a howler or two thrown in for good measure like no Buller.

On flip side the teams I’ve named have way more changes than the coaches would actually make.

 

[Aussie pie]

My description of our 2026 team, bland white toast. It’s the same meal you’ve had for years with a bit of butter on top. The only difference is we’ve gone from tip top brand to Coles brand white bread.

 

[gouki88]

My description of our 2026 team, bland white toast. It’s the same meal you’ve had for years with a bit of butter on top. The only difference is we’ve gone from tip top brand to Coles brand white bread.

Yep, all the same faces.

Except all of those regulars and/or premiership heroes who have left in the last few weeks.

 

[MoreMoore]

End of year team?

B. IQ. Frampton. Maynard
HB. Houston. Moore. Parker
C. Steele. Perryman. Hill
HF. Shultz. Buller. Degoey
F. Elliot. McStay. West

R. Cameron. Naicos Jaicos

Int. Mcreery(mid/fwd swap with Degoey). Long Allan. HH. Reef

Much younger and faster team

 

[cityslick1]

McInnes Frampton Quaynor
Houston Moore Maynard
J Daicos Long Crisp
Schultz Buller McCreery
Hill McStay Elliott

Cameron N Daicos de Goey

Perrymen West Steele Harrison
Allan

Youth, pace, pressure, plus a nice injection of experience…

Then really need a few of Parker, Jiath, Cochran, Ryan, Harry, Steene and Hayes to push for permanent spots…

 

[Matrix10]

Here’s my take after trade period. There’s a focus on getting some younger players into the team and the oldies will be managed so those that missed will get opportunities.


Quaynor - Frampton - Howe

Houston - Moore - Maynard

J Daicos - Perryman - Steele

McCreery - McStay - Hill

Buller - West - Elliott

Cameron - DeGoey - N Daicos

Pendlebury - Parker - Sidebottom - Crisp - Schultz



Couldn’t find room for Membrey, Lipinski, Allan , Long, Reef, Harrison.


Perryman and Josh go into the midfield and replaced down back by Houston and Parker.

McCreery plays more mid than forward and Sidey plays more forward than mid.

Like your team , the one I believe that will be in line up is Harvey Harrison, kid has it in spades will be a jet .

 

[Jen2310]

I'm really looking forward to pre-season, maybe more than any other year. Big opportunities for some kids to stand up and demand selection.

Lets see how much they have put on physically and to take their game to the next level.

 

[PiCkLeJuiCe]

I'm really looking forward to pre-season, maybe more than any other year. Big opportunities for some kids to stand up and demand selection.

Lets see how much they have put on physically and to take their game to the next level.

Same. Expectations for me are lower so I can hopefully enjoy the season more than fret and worry about individual game outcomes and their consequences. 2026 and even 2027 are likely down years as we consolidate, getting much needed games into younger players and another year of trading.

If by mid year, Pendles, Sidey and Howe have been replaced in the team, then we will be progressing beautifully.

 

[well left]

Like your team , the one I believe that will be in line up is Harvey Harrison, kid has it in spades will be a jet .

Rate him highly as well. Just couldn’t find a spot for him.

Possibly had him and Reef out due to uncertainty coming back from ACL’s but can see them taking Howe and Sidey’s spot at some point.

 

[PiCkLeJuiCe]

Rate him highly as well. Just couldn’t find a spot for him.

Possibly had him and Reef out due to uncertainty coming back from ACL’s but can see them taking Howe and Sidey’s spot at some point.

I'm looking forward to HH and TJ.

 

[doppleganger]

B: B.Frampton, D.Moore, B.Maynard
HB: I.Quaynor, J.Howe, J.Daicos
C: D.Houston, J.De Goey, P.Lipinski
HF: B.McCreery, D.McStay, L.Schultz
F: B.Hill, T.Membrey, J.Elliott
FOLL: D.Cameron, N.Daicos, S.Pendlebury
I/C: H.Perryman, J.Crisp, S.Sidebottom, N.Long, C.West
Depth: Ed Allan, Wil Parker, Reef McInnes, Harvey Harrison, Roan Steele, Jack Buller

Still a strong team.
Strong back group - be good if Reef can claim a spot (phase Howe out). And if we want movement, is 2026 the year we see Maynard a bit more through the middle?? Might be a way of getting Jiath, Ryan, Parker etc a game as a HBF?

Versatile and dangerous forward line
Midfield aging but full of stars.

Many will move a few around and want to start some of the depth...but it is up to a guy like Parker to force Sidey out.

The return of Bobby Hill will be important to a forwardline that became worryingly reliant on Jamie Elliott – who had a super year but will turn 34 before next September – and lost Brody Mihocek.
Collingwood is hopeful Charlie West or Jack Buller can provide a bit.

Yep - Bobby, HH and one of the new key forwards we hope add a bit. I also have a bit of hope for a fit McStay to improve us.

DeGoey could be used more forward also.

Forward-line ain't a concern.

The midfield slipped a rung and unless Jordan De Goey is fully fit next year, it’s hard to see the Pies improving greatly around Nick Daicos.

Yep, tis the middle where we need to be a bit different

Unless DeGoey is fit, don't use him there.
Sidey time to transition him out (id use Sidey as a small forward).

Daicos x2, Perryman, Long, Allan, McReery, Lip, Roan and also push Bobby up more to the wing etc. Jordy and even Billy to have a few centre bounces and push forward.

This side is only getting older and not enough of its players are getting better, and the first call in the draft being pick 39 doesn’t help the cause either.
Craig McRae will need to pull off a few tricks and few youngsters need to jump out of the box.

Again a fair summation.

To win a flag we will need a few youngsters to jump out - big seasons from DeGoey, McStay and Moore and for the Daicos boys to again light it up.

 

[well left]

I'm looking forward to HH and TJ.

TJ intrigues me but a bit like Ryan I just don’t see where he gets a shot. Even if he plays taller I think he’s behind Reef and maybe even Cochran with his height.

An interesting year coming up for him.

 

[Piesinmyeyes]

Maybe I’m old, but as long as we’ve got Carlton covered, I’m ok……
Fwiw, look highly competitive, though like this yr maybe just short of best 2-3.
Love to see West, Allan and Jiath shine.
Parker and Reef also to consolidate.

 

[Go Woods]

McInnes Frampton Quaynor
Houston Moore Maynard
J Daicos Long Crisp
Schultz Buller McCreery
Hill McStay Elliott

Cameron N Daicos de Goey

Perrymen West Steele Harrison
Allan

Youth, pace, pressure, plus a nice injection of experience…

Then really need a few of Parker, Jiath, Cochran, Ryan, Harry, Steene and Hayes to push for permanent spots…

This, really like your 23, we need to get younger obviously getting games into Allan, Parker etc is crucial.
Going to be a balancing act for the coaches if we have a good with injuries.
Pendles, Sidey and Howe will be managed and imo only play a set number of games each for the H&A season.

 

[PiCkLeJuiCe]

TJ intrigues me but a bit like Ryan I just don’t see where he gets a shot. Even if he plays taller I think he’s behind Reef and maybe even Cochran with his height.

An interesting year coming up for him.

I think they get they chance in place of Maynard. Maynard's body is eventually going to start giving out - being a battering ram for 11 seasons is eventually going to take its toll.

 

[manicpie]

We'll need a couple to come through from the VFL. We have Parker and Steele which should be regulars next year. Hopefully reef and HH come on and we'll still be top 4