Collingwood Mid Year Review

[76woodenspooners]

tl;dr: As part of this exercise, I’ve labelled which of our current list of 44 players are projected to be on the list for the 2023 season, as a test of how set we are for the future. I count 25 players - and even that includes fringe selection Lynch and yet-to-debut McInnes. That basically means that some portion of the remaining 19 players who haven’t really showed anything need to step up (Rantall, Henry, etc) or otherwise we’ll need to turn over around ten list spots for each of our next two off seasons. That really highlights why the club have been pumping games into the kids, otherwise in a year or two we’ll be in trouble.


1. Jay Rantall. (Out of contract) Named in four games this season. At least two of those were as sub. Now in his second season at the club and IMO has been given opportunities that he would struggle to get if our team wasn’t rebuilding and actively “playing the kids”. I’ve seen him live twice this year (VFL game v Swans and AFL game v Melbourne) and he looked like he struggled to keep up with the pace of the game and know where his teammates are. Like all our players, I hope he does well, but he’s got a lot of catching up to do if he’s going to make it.

2. Jordan DeGoey. (Projected 2023 player) Only missed one game to date this year, and about to miss another through suspension. Kicked 18 goals in his 12 games, including a 6 goal haul against the citadel defences of the North Melbourne backline. When he’s hot he’s on fire, and when he’s not he’s chilling out with a cocktail in hand in a Reykjavik spa. My spider sense tells me that DeGoey has the most to gain (or maybe lose) by having a fresh senior coach to work under. I hope he does, because if he doesn’t find consistency I reckon he’ll be put up for trade in the coming years in much the same way as Heath Shaw was. We’ll all get the shits about that, deal with it, and move on. Just like we did with Heath Shaw.

3. Isaac Quaynor. (Projected 2023 player) Now plays more like a 75 game player, than the 28 games he’s actually played. His Progression this season has been noticeable and I doubt anybody will be the least bit surprised if we reconvene in a review thread at the end of the season and see this lads smiling face as the new dictionary definition of “breakout year”. He’s become an intercepting player in recent weeks and what I’d like to see him work on in the second half of 2021 is to become more of a damaging rebounding player of the ilk of Heritier Lumumba when he was at the peak of his powers.

4. Brodie Grundy. (Projected 2023 player) Didn’t have the most auspicious start to the season, but did get his mojo back before he got injured. He’s expected to be back next round and it’ll be interesting to see how this different cat responds to the caretaker coach. IMO Brodie’s challenge for the rest of 2021 is to justify his role in the leadership group. He clearly has a presence, but I think he needs to do a bit more with it.

5. Jamie Elliott. (Projected 2023 player) Now in his 10th season at the club. I reckon he’s been in our best 22 for the entirety of that 10 years. The problem with Elliott is that he’s only played 128 games in that 10 years - around 13 games a year. A player of his calibre needs to be more available than that. His challenge is to consistently stay on the park in the way that a lad like Mihocek can manage. If he can play every game for the rest of the season, kick over a goal a game, and do his bit with the assists and defensive forward craft, that’d be a good outcome, and a good springboard for another good 3 or so seasons we can reasonably expect out of him.

6. Tyler Brown. (Projected 2023 player) Played 7 of 13 games so far in 2021. Now in his fourth season at the club and only played 16 games. We’ve been spoilt by having a lad like Quaynor on the list who has been in the list a year less, played a dozen more games, and has developed more … but some lads do take a little longer. Josh Daicos was at roughly the same stage of development at the same stage of his career. If Collingwood is to go anywhere in the next decade, players like Tyler Brown do need to start delivering, because players like Pendlebury won’t be around forever, and there are a bunch of players who currently have less to offer than Tyler does. His challenge is to string a few consistent games together before the end of the season.

7. Josh Daicos. (Projected 2023 player) I lied. I told a big porky pie when I suggested that Quaynor could become the embodiment of “Breakout year”, ‘cause Josh is the legitimate owner of that in 2021 so far. Josh has been largely hiding in the shadow of his father and yet-to-even-be-on-an-AFL-list-let-alone-play-an-AFL-game-our-saviour-our-messiah brother Nick … but this year Josh has ducked and weaved and wiggled his hips through the opposition defences more than a tango dancer with a red rose between his teeth and delivered with wanton abandon bullet passes with pinpoint accuracy onto the chest of our startled and surprised forwards. Josh, keep doing what you’re doing, your future looks bright.

8. Trent Bianco. (Out of contract) (Projected 2023 player) One of season 2021’s debutants, played three games, and gee, we can see in those three games that we’ve unearthed a beauty. Highlight was his second game of AFL footy where he got 16 touches, 6 contested posessions, 4 tackles and kicked a goal. He just need to put in a body of work to gain experience and continue his development.

9. John Noble. (Out of contract) (Projected 2023 player) Been on the list for two full years (since mid season draft 2019) and he’s already played 35 games. He’s probably one of the most polarising players on our list, folks either …

… love him for taking the game on, his run and carry, and his breaking the lines, changing angles, and having Selwood-esque ability to draw the high tackle …
… or they hate him for kicking it straight to an opposition player in their forward 50, or getting caught with the footy 30 meters out from goal.

I’m in the former camp. He roles the dice probably more than any other player on our list, and IMO he wins far more plays than he loses. He’ll get better as he spends longer in the system. Do teams with players like John Noble on their list win Premierships? Yes IMO. John’s challenge for the rest of 2021 is to build better connection with his team-mates, and keep developing his craft.

10. Scott Pendlebury. (Out of contract) Not much to say except to lament that this bloke isn’t going to be around forever. Scott’s challenge for 2021 is to continue to help those around him to become the best version of themselves. In the second half of the season that will mean the freedom to allow his team-mates to make more mistakes and to learn from them.

11. Mark Keane. (Projected 2023 player) Played four games in season 2021. With Darcy Moore and Jeremy Howe likely out for the rest of the season, would think that he’ll get more chances. I think he’s done alright and look forward to seeing him develop more.

12. Tom Wilson. (Out of contract) Played three games in season 2021. IMO he’s shown enough to justify more opportunities in the second half of 2021 and I look forward to see him develop more and show us why he should be promoted to take a senior list spot at the end of this year.

13. Taylor Adams. (Projected 2023 Player) Only played 5 games this season.

I had a dream last night that in the second half of the season Caroline Wilson has a long form interview with Mark Korda. In that interview Caro gives Korda a Grilling about WTF he was thinking inviting the Bulldogs loving, Collingwood hating heathen that is Bride O’Donnell into the inner sanctum? Korda quietly nods, looks whilstfully into the distance, takes a pregnant pause to gather his thoughts, and turns back to Caro and says “Well, Caro, you see it‘s like this. We have strong leaders and talented players on our list like Taylor Adams who has only been fit for five games this season, Jeremy Howe also five games. Darcy Moore will miss half a season - all three of those players are in our leadership group and are the first handful of players picked when fit. Add to that Jamie Elliott has only played four games this season. I think that’s unacceptable, and clearly if we want to be competitive we need to change that. Now neither myself nor any of the other six board members have NFI how to hold our medicos and injury prevention folks to account on this … and trust me if we could find a lifelong Collingwood member, ex elite athlete with a medical background with the qualifications to be on our board we would have nabbed ‘em.” Korda shrugs “But in the absence of that, Bridie is the most qualified person to help us head our injury prevention program from a board and governance point of view, in much the same way as Sizer is heading our response to the Do Better report, and Licuria is heading the process for selecting our next coach“.

In response to the interview Jeff Browne releases a press statement saying “I reckon Korda made a decent point. I apologise for the all the nasty things I said about O’Donnell, she needs to be on our our board. I hereby withdraw my support for an EGM and suspend my campaign for Presidency. Floreat Pica”

14. Darcy Cameron. (Out of contract) (Projected 2023 Player) Has played 9 games for a return of 13 goals this season with his best haul being the 4 against Melbourne on Queens Birthday. He’s a late bloomer, having only played 20 AFL games and being 25 years of age. He didn’t look too promising coming into this season, but he’s generally held his spot keeping Mason Cox out, and getting sticky hands. His challenge for the rest of this season is cement his spot and to prove he’s no inconsistent Jesse White.

15. Max Lynch. (Out of contract) (Projected 2023 player) It’s probably the toughest spot on our list being the backup ruckman for the super durable, AA and B&F quality Brodie Grundy. Nevertheless, this season he’s been required to step up the the plate, and that’s exactly what he’s done, playing a cracking game and winning the hitouts in only his third game of footy, which was against Max Gawn. He needs to build on that in the second half (most likely in the 2nds) and maybe at the end of 2022 might get better opportunities to play elsewhere a ‘la Jarryd Witts.

16. Chris Mayne. Out of contract Played 9 games this season for a total of 240 in our career. IMO his biggest strength is that he plays a very credible role of somebody who our young lads can look at and believe “If I can work hard and apply myself I can take that bloke’s spot”. His challenge for the rest of the season is to help develop the young lads on our list.

17. Callum Brown. Played 12 games this season (2 as sub), averaged around 10 posies a game, kicked a couple of goals for the season. That’s all a bit underwhelming for a player who has played 61 games in his career. His challenge for the rest of the season is to justify his spot.

18. Finlay Macrae. (Projected 2023 player) Played 4 games early in the season, with one as sub. For mine has been a bit of a goldilocks player (not great like Bianco, nor not poor like Henry) and for a four game player there’s no shame in that. Has he been injured? Surprised a player like Rantell would be getting games ahead of him. His challenge the rest of the season is to continue to develop his craft, get the attention of the new coach and to earn more senior opportunities.

19. Levi Greenwood. (Out of contract) Played 2 games this season and has been out with concussion symptoms. Despite persistent rumours around here from mate of a mate‘s cousin’s girlfriend’s sister, that Greenwood will never play again due to his concussion symptoms, he still remains very much engaged at the club and rocks up to training despite the temptation to do finger painting instead. Regardless, you’d reckon that as a 32 year old out of contract that this will be Levi’s last season. He’s challenge for the rest of the season is to help develop the new generation coming through.

20. Will Kelly. Played 2 games and showed nothing IMO. I know he’s been mentioned by many at the club as being part of our bright future, but I’m yet to see it.

21. Trey Ruscoe. (Out of contract) After playing 4 games last year, he’s only played three so far this year, being kept out of the team by the likes of McCreary. Warms the cockles of the heart to see young players fight for spots. Ruscoe still has plenty of time, and his challenge for the rest of this season is to take JT‘s spot on the teamsheet.

22. Steele Sidebottom. (Projected 2023 player) Steele is starting to lose his touch in his autumn years, but his onfield leadership and presence is essential for developing players. I hope he’s got at least another few seasons in him. A good challenge for him for the rest of this season would be to work with players to develop their leadership qualities, to develop their skills at bringing other players into the game around them. Maybe this includes players like Crisp or maybe even Quaynor (Daicos already has it naturally, players like Poulter need to focus on their own game before they start worrying about others)

23. Jordan Roughead. (Projected 2023 player) Played 12 games and been a reasonably solid contributor to our reasonably miserly defense which has let through the sixth lowest points of teams so far this AFL season. Will play his 200th game as a 30 year old before the season is out, and unfortunately I don’t see too many young players of his type queuing up to take his spot. Keep doing what you do Roughy.

24. Josh Thomas. (Out of contract) Played 12 games this season. I normally think this lad gets unfairly marked harshly by many people … but I also give more credence to player performances in games I see live … and I was very disappointed with him in the Queens Birthday game here in Sydney. QB was a white hot game, and if Collingwood is to get any good, it can’t afford to carry players who can‘t respond well to the pressure in white hot games. JT’s challenge for the rest of the season is to loosen the inhibitions ‘cause he’s playing for his spot in the list. At best he’ll find his new self under the next coach, at worst he’ll make some young lad work hard to take his spot.

25. Jack Crisp. (Projected 2023 player) Unbackable favourite to take the Copeland trophy you’d think. The “steak knives” moniker was retired a long time ago. Time for the “Duracell Bunny” moniker now. He doesn’t have much to work on, but perhaps a good challenge for the rest of the season is develop his leadership skills to bring others into the game around him. He doesn’t have worry about his own game anymore.

26. Reef McInnes. (Projected 2023 player) Our highly touted first pick of last draft period has been mostly injured. Haven’t been following his injury status, but if he’s fit and a chance then his challenge for the rest of 2021 is to earn a taste of senior footy.

27. Caleb Poulter. (Projected 2023 player) Debutant of 2021 so far for mine (with McCreary a close second, and Bianco only being behind them because he doesn’t have the same body of work yet). Caleb has played 7 games in the first 13 rounds, and averaged around 18 disposals a game. Keep that mullet flowing freely Caleb!

28. Nathan Murphy. (Projected 2023 player) Played 7 games, with his highlight being his gutsy Mark of the Year nomination against the Suns. His challenge for the rest of the season is to look after himself in games, and find a bit more consistency, and perhaps find a bit more of the footy.

29. Liam McMahon. Yet to debut.

30. Darcy Moore. (Projected 2023 player) Disappointingly out for the rest of the season.

31. Beau McCreary. (projected 2023 player) I joked at the start of the season that this kid sounds like a character out of a Banjo Paterson poem. After watching his 8 games, gotta say that he plays like a character lifted out of the Geebung Polo club. Kicked 11 goals and averaged over 4 (hard) tackles a game. If this kid is a peek into our future, then our future looks mighty bright.

32. Will Hoskin-Elliott. (projected 2023 player) Played 12 games this season. I reckon fatherhood is treating this bloke well ‘cause in the last body of games he seems to be playing with a bit more poise and his game is the better for it. His next game will be his 150th. I’ve been a little disappointed that he hasn’t broken out to be the player he could be. He’s a strong mark, and has got good footy smarts, just lacks that drive to take the game by the scruff of the neck. I’d love to see him respond well to the new coach, and better realise his potential on his path to 200 games.

33. Jack Ginnivan. (Out of contract) Yet to debut.

34. Isaac Chug. (Out of contract) Yet to debut.

35. Oliver Henry. I saw his debut game live in round 1 and it was a bit underwhelming. He’s played 3 games and yet yo show something. Time is on his side.

36. Brayden Sier. (Out of contract) Played 7 games this year and has either been subbed on or subbed off for three of them. IMO he’s largely kept his place on the list more by his potential than by anything he‘s actually delivered. Another player I hope will respond well to the new coach and start to consistently demonstrate what he can do.

37. Brayden Maynard. (projected 2023 player) After a slow start to the season his game has improved to the point where IMO he’d be second on the Copeland leaderboard. Couldn’t ask anything more of this guy, he brings a passion to his game that is an inspiration to his team mates. Would love to see him in the 2022 leadership group.

38. Jeremy Howe. Played 5 games this season before being effectively injured for the rest of the season. (Only played 9 games the past 2 seasons) He’s about to celebrate his 31st birthday, so sadly you’d think he wouldn’t have too many seasons left in him. He still has the skills and the onfield leadership, but can he get on the park?

39. Aidan Begg. Yet to debut.

40. Ash Johnson. Yet to debut.

41. Brodie Mihocek. (Projected 2023 player) Played in all 13 games, been durable, kicked 21 goals. In a champion team Brodie could easily fill that third tall role, but as our current leading goal kicker he probably carries a bigger load than he would elsewhere.

42. Retired (wonder if there’ll be talk of bringing it out of retirement now that Ed is no longer President? New President isn’t hugely popular and is unlikely to want to take risks on such things)

43. Anton Tohill (Out of contract) Coming up to three years on the list without debuting. Doesn’t look good for him.

44. Jack Madgen. (Out of contract) (Projected 2023 player) Played 10 games this season and after a rather inauspicious start has got it together in the last few games and I reckon he’s showing something. Shows good leadership in the backline and reaps his rewards through hard work.

46. Mason Cox. (Out of contract) Has missed a bunch of games through injury, but despite that, there have been games he has been available and not selected. Hopefully he’s able to start with a clean sheet to impress the next coach but probably gone end of season unless something changes dramatically.

* Thanks to Maggie5 for the list of players out of contract.

 

[Jen2310]

Well written.

My favourite part.


"Josh has been largely hiding in the shadow of his father and yet-to-even-be-on-an-AFL-list-let-alone-play-an-AFL-game-our-saviour-our-messiah brother Nick"

Haha

 

[Milo the border collie]

Good review. Just on the injuries though, I think most of them this year have been impact, collision type injuries rather than soft tissue ones.

 

[Shannin]

tl;dr: As part of this exercise, I’ve labelled which of our current list of 44 players are projected to be on the list for the 2023 season, as a test of how set we are for the future. I count 25 players - and even that includes fringe selection Lynch and yet-to-debut McInnes. That basically means that some portion of the remaining 19 players who haven’t really showed anything need to step up (Rantall, Henry, etc) or otherwise we’ll need to turn over around ten list spots for each of our next two off seasons. That really highlights why the club have been pumping games into the kids, otherwise in a year or two we’ll be in trouble.


1. Jay Rantall. (Out of contract) Named in four games this season. At least two of those were as sub. Now in his second season at the club and IMO has been given opportunities that he would struggle to get if our team wasn’t rebuilding and actively “playing the kids”. I’ve seen him live twice this year (VFL game v Swans and AFL game v Melbourne) and he looked like he struggled to keep up with the pace of the game and know where his teammates are. Like all our players, I hope he does well, but he’s got a lot of catching up to do if he’s going to make it.

2. Jordan DeGoey. (Projected 2023 player) Only missed one game to date this year, and about to miss another through suspension. Kicked 18 goals in his 12 games, including a 6 goal haul against the citadel defences of the North Melbourne backline. When he’s hot he’s on fire, and when he’s not he’s chilling out with a cocktail in hand in a Reykjavik spa. My spider sense tells me that DeGoey has the most to gain (or maybe lose) by having a fresh senior coach to work under. I hope he does, because if he doesn’t find consistency I reckon he’ll be put up for trade in the coming years in much the same way as Heath Shaw was. We’ll all get the shits about that, deal with it, and move on. Just like we did with Heath Shaw.

3. Isaac Quaynor. (Projected 2023 player) Now plays more like a 75 game player, than the 28 games he’s actually played. His Progression this season has been noticeable and I doubt anybody will be the least bit surprised if we reconvene in a review thread at the end of the season and see this lads smiling face as the new dictionary definition of “breakout year”. He’s become an intercepting player in recent weeks and what I’d like to see him work on in the second half of 2021 is to become more of a damaging rebounding player of the ilk of Heritier Lumumba when he was at the peak of his powers.

4. Brodie Grundy. (Projected 2023 player) Didn’t have the most auspicious start to the season, but did get his mojo back before he got injured. He’s expected to be back next round and it’ll be interesting to see how this different cat responds to the caretaker coach. IMO Brodie’s challenge for the rest of 2021 is to justify his role in the leadership group. He clearly has a presence, but I think he needs to do a bit more with it.

5. Jamie Elliott. (Projected 2023 player) Now in his 10th season at the club. I reckon he’s been in our best 22 for the entirety of that 10 years. The problem with Elliott is that he’s only played 128 games in that 10 years - around 13 games a year. A player of his calibre needs to be more available than that. His challenge is to consistently stay on the park in the way that a lad like Mihocek can manage. If he can play every game for the rest of the season, kick over a goal a game, and do his bit with the assists and defensive forward craft, that’d be a good outcome, and a good springboard for another good 3 or so seasons we can reasonably expect out of him.

6. Tyler Brown. (Projected 2023 player) Played 7 of 13 games so far in 2021. Now in his fourth season at the club and only played 16 games. We’ve been spoilt by having a lad like Quaynor on the list who has been in the list a year less, played a dozen more games, and has developed more … but some lads do take a little longer. Josh Daicos was at roughly the same stage of development at the same stage of his career. If Collingwood is to go anywhere in the next decade, players like Tyler Brown do need to start delivering, because players like Pendlebury won’t be around forever, and there are a bunch of players who currently have less to offer than Tyler does. His challenge is to string a few consistent games together before the end of the season.

7. Josh Daicos. (Projected 2023 player) I lied. I told a big porky pie when I suggested that Quaynor could become the embodiment of “Breakout year”, ‘cause Josh is the legitimate owner of that in 2021 so far. Josh has been largely hiding in the shadow of his father and yet-to-even-be-on-an-AFL-list-let-alone-play-an-AFL-game-our-saviour-our-messiah brother Nick … but this year Josh has ducked and weaved and wiggled his hips through the opposition defences more than a tango dancer with a red rose between his teeth and delivered with wanton abandon bullet passes with pinpoint accuracy onto the chest of our startled and surprised forwards. Josh, keep doing what you’re doing, your future looks bright.

8. Trent Bianco. (Out of contract) (Projected 2023 player) One of season 2021’s debutants, played three games, and gee, we can see in those three games that we’ve unearthed a beauty. Highlight was his second game of AFL footy where he got 16 touches, 6 contested posessions, 4 tackles and kicked a goal. He just need to put in a body of work to gain experience and continue his development.

9. John Noble. (Out of contract) (Projected 2023 player) Been on the list for two full years (since mid season draft 2019) and he’s already played 35 games. He’s probably one of the most polarising players on our list, folks either …

… love him for taking the game on, his run and carry, and his breaking the lines, changing angles, and having Selwood-esque ability to draw the high tackle …
… or they hate him for kicking it straight to an opposition player in their forward 50, or getting caught with the footy 30 meters out from goal.

I’m in the former camp. He roles the dice probably more than any other player on our list, and IMO he wins far more plays than he loses. He’ll get better as he spends longer in the system. Do teams with players like John Noble on their list win Premierships? Yes IMO. John’s challenge for the rest of 2021 is to build better connection with his team-mates, and keep developing his craft.

10. Scott Pendlebury. (Out of contract) Not much to say except to lament that this bloke isn’t going to be around forever. Scott’s challenge for 2021 is to continue to help those around him to become the best version of themselves. In the second half of the season that will mean the freedom to allow his team-mates to make more mistakes and to learn from them.

11. Mark Keane. (Projected 2023 player) Played four games in season 2021. With Darcy Moore and Jeremy Howe likely out for the rest of the season, would think that he’ll get more chances. I think he’s done alright and look forward to seeing him develop more.

12. Tom Wilson. (Out of contract) Played three games in season 2021. IMO he’s shown enough to justify more opportunities in the second half of 2021 and I look forward to see him develop more and show us why he should be promoted to take a senior list spot at the end of this year.

13. Taylor Adams. (Projected 2023 Player) Only played 5 games this season.

I had a dream last night that in the second half of the season Caroline Wilson has a long form interview with Mark Korda. In that interview Caro gives Korda a Grilling about WTF he was thinking inviting the Bulldogs loving, Collingwood hating heathen that is Bride O’Donnell into the inner sanctum? Korda quietly nods, looks whilstfully into the distance, takes a pregnant pause to gather his thoughts, and turns back to Caro and says “Well, Caro, you see it‘s like this. We have strong leaders and talented players on our list like Taylor Adams who has only been fit for five games this season, Jeremy Howe also five games. Darcy Moore will miss half a season - all three of those players are in our leadership group and are the first handful of players picked when fit. Add to that Jamie Elliott has only played four games this season. I think that’s unacceptable, and clearly if we want to be competitive we need to change that. Now neither myself nor any of the other six board members have NFI how to hold our medicos and injury prevention folks to account on this … and trust me if we could find a lifelong Collingwood member, ex elite athlete with a medical background with the qualifications to be on our board we would have nabbed ‘em.” Korda shrugs “But in the absence of that, Bridie is the most qualified person to help us head our injury prevention program from a board and governance point of view, in much the same way as Sizer is heading our response to the Do Better report, and Licuria is heading the process for selecting our next coach“.

In response to the interview Jeff Browne releases a press statement saying “I reckon Korda made a decent point. I apologise for the all the nasty things I said about O’Donnell, she needs to be on our our board. I hereby withdraw my support for an EGM and suspend my campaign for Presidency. Floreat Pica”

14. Darcy Cameron. (Out of contract) (Projected 2023 Player) Has played 9 games for a return of 13 goals this season with his best haul being the 4 against Melbourne on Queens Birthday. He’s a late bloomer, having only played 20 AFL games and being 25 years of age. He didn’t look too promising coming into this season, but he’s generally held his spot keeping Mason Cox out, and getting sticky hands. His challenge for the rest of this season is cement his spot and to prove he’s no inconsistent Jesse White.

15. Max Lynch. (Out of contract) (Projected 2023 player) It’s probably the toughest spot on our list being the backup ruckman for the super durable, AA and B&F quality Brodie Grundy. Nevertheless, this season he’s been required to step up the the plate, and that’s exactly what he’s done, playing a cracking game and winning the hitouts in only his third game of footy, which was against Max Gawn. He needs to build on that in the second half (most likely in the 2nds) and maybe at the end of 2022 might get better opportunities to play elsewhere a ‘la Jarryd Witts.

16. Chris Mayne. Out of contract Played 9 games this season for a total of 240 in our career. IMO his biggest strength is that he plays a very credible role of somebody who our young lads can look at and believe “If I can work hard and apply myself I can take that bloke’s spot”. His challenge for the rest of the season is to help develop the young lads on our list.

17. Callum Brown. Played 12 games this season (2 as sub), averaged around 10 posies a game, kicked a couple of goals for the season. That’s all a bit underwhelming for a player who has played 61 games in his career. His challenge for the rest of the season is to justify his spot.

18. Finlay Macrae. (Projected 2023 player) Played 4 games early in the season, with one as sub. For mine has been a bit of a goldilocks player (not great like Bianco, nor not poor like Henry) and for a four game player there’s no shame in that. Has he been injured? Surprised a player like Rantell would be getting games ahead of him. His challenge the rest of the season is to continue to develop his craft, get the notice of the new coach and to earn more senior opportunities.

19. Levi Greenwood. (Out of contract) Played 2 games this season Andd has been out with concussion symptoms. Despite persistent rumours around here from mate of a mate‘s cousin’s girlfriend’s sister, the Greenwood will never play again due to his symptom’s, he still remains very much engaged at the club and rocks up to training despite the temptation to do finger painting instead. Regardless, you’d reckon that as a 32 year old out of contract that this will be Levi’s last season. He’s challenge for the rest of the season is to help the new generation coming through develop.

20. Will Kelly. Played 2 games and showed nothing IMO. I know he’s been mentioned by many at the club as being part of our bright future, but I’m yet to see it.

21. Trey Ruscoe. (Out of contract) After playing 4 games last year, he’s only played three so far this year, being kept out of the team by the likes of McCreary. Warms the cockles of the heart to see young players fight for spots. Ruscoe still has plenty of time, and His challenge for the rest of this season is to take JT‘s spot on the teamsheet.

22. Steele Sidebottom. (Projected 2023 player Steele is starting to lose his touch in his autumn years, but his onfield leadership and presence is essential for developing players. I hope he’s got at least another few seasons in him. A good challenge for him for the rest of this season would be to work with players younger players to develop their leadership qualities, to develop their skills at bringing other players into the game around them, maybe players like Crisp or maybe even Quaynor (Daicos already has it naturally, players like Poulter need to focus on their own game before they start worrying about others)

23. Jordan Roughead. (Projected 2023 player) Played 12 games and been a reasonably solid contributor to our reasonably miserly defense (let through the sixth lowest points this season). Will play his 200th game as a 30 year old before the season is out, and unfortunately don’t see too many young players of his type queuing up to take his spot. Keep doing what you do Roughy.

24. Josh Thomas. (Out of contract) Played 12 games this season. I normally think this lad gets unfairly marked harshly by many people … but I also give more credence to player performances in games I see live … and I was very disappointed with him in the Queens Birthday game here in Sydney. QB was a white hot game, and if Collingwood is to get any good, it can’t afford to carry players who can‘t respond well to the pressure in white hot games. JT’s challenge for the rest of the season is to loosen the inhibitions ‘cause he’s playing for his spot in the list, and to play out of his skin. At best he’ll find his new self under the next coach, at worst he’ll make some young lad work hard to take his spot.

25. Jack Crisp. (Projected 2023 player) Unbackable favourite to take the Copeland trophy you’d think. The “steak knives” moniker was retired a long time ago. Time for the “Duracell Bunny” moniker now. He doesn’t have much to work on, but perhaps a good challenge for the rest of the season is develop his leadership skills further to bring others into the game around him. He doesn’t have worry about his own game anymore.

26. Reef McInnes. (Projected 2023 player) Our highly touted first pick of last draft period has been mostly injured. Haven’t been following his injury status, but if he’s fit and a chance then his challenge for the rest of 2021 is to earn a taste of senior footy.

27. Caleb Poulter. (Projected 2023 player) Debutant of 2021 so far for mine (with McCreary a close second, and Bianco only being behind them because he doesn’t have the same body of work yet). Caleb has played 7 games in the first 13 rounds, and averaged around 18 disposals a game. Keep that mullet flowing freely Caleb!

28. Nathan Murphy. (Projected 2023 player) Played 7 games, with his highlight being his gutsy Mark of the Year nomination against the Suns. His challenge for the rest of the season is to look after himself in games, and find a bit more consistency, and perhaps find a bit more of the footy.

29. Liam McMahon. Yet to debut.

30. Darcy Moore. (Projected 2023 player) Disappointingly out for the rest of the season.

31. Beau McCreary. (projected 2023 player) I joked at the start of the season that this kid sounds like a character out of a Banjo Paterson poem. After watching his 8 games, gotta say that he also plays like a character lifted out of the Geebung Polo club. Kicked 11 goals and averaged over 4 (hard) tackles a game. If this kid is a peek into our future, then our future looks mighty bright.

32. Will Hoskin-Elliott. (projected 2023 player) Played 12 games this season. I reckon fatherhood is treating this bloke well ‘cause in the last body of games he seems to be playing with a bit more poise and his game is the better for it. His next game will be his 150th. I’ve been a little disappointed that he hasn’t broken out to be the player he could be. He’s a strong mark, and has got good footy smarts, just lacks that drive to take the game by the scruff of the neck. I’d love to see him respond well to the new coach, and better realise his potential on his path to 200 games.

33. Jack Ginnivan. (Out of contract) Yet to debut.

34. Isaac Chug. (Out of contract) Yet to debut.

35. Oliver Henry. I saw his debut game live in round 1 and it was a bit underwhelming. He’s played 3 games and yet yo show something. Time is on his side.

36. Brayden Sier. (Out of contract) Played 7 games this year and has either been subbed on or subbed off for three of them. IMO he’s largely kept his place on the list more by his potential than by anything he‘s actually delivered. Another player I hope will respond well to the new coach and start to consistently demonstrate what he can do.

37. Brayden Maynard. (projected 2023 player) After a slow start to the season his game has improved to the point where IMO he’d be second on the Copeland leaderboard. Could ask anything more of this guy, he brings a passion to his game that is an inspiration to his team mates. Would love to see him in the 2022 leadership group.

38. Jeremy Howe. Played 5 games this season before being effectively injured for the rest of the season. (Only played 9 games the past 2 seasons) He’s about to celebrate his 31st birthday, so sadly you’d think he wouldn’t have too many seasons left in him. He still has the skills and the infield leadership, but can he get on the park?

39. Aidan Begg. Yet to debut.

40. Ash Johnson. Yet to debut.

41. Brodie Mihocek. (Projected 2023 player) Played in all 13 games, been durable, kicked 21 goals. In a champion team Brodie could easily fill that third tall role, but as our current leading goal kicker he probably carries a bigger load than he would elsewhere, but he does it well.

42. Retired (wonder if there’ll be talk of bringing it out of retirement now that Ed is no longer President? New President isn’t hugely popular and is unlikely to want to take risks on such things)

43. Anton Tohill (Out of contract) Coming up to three years on the list without debuting. Doesn’t look good for him.

44. Jack Madgen. (Out of contract) (Projected 2023 player) Played 10 games this season and after a rather inauspicious start has got it together in the last few games and I reckon he’s showing something. Shows good leadership and the backline and reaps his rewards through hard work rather than talent.

46. Mason Cox. (Out of contract) Has missed a bunch of games through injury, but despite that, there have been games he has been available and not selected. Hopefully he’s able to start with a clean sheet to impress the next coach but probably gone end of season unless something changes dramatically.

* Thanks to Maggie5 for the list of players out of contract.

You lost me at me at Tyler Brown projected 2023 player . Do you watch any games?

 

[Milo the border collie]

Micky McGuane gave one in the HS. I came across this on a site called Extreme Black and White. We have a lot of Pie forums out there. This by someone called Annabelle.

At just over the half-way mark of the season we are not where we would want to be but it’s not totally surprisingly given the turmoil following how we bowed out in the finals last year, the fire sale trading period and all the ensuing drama of 2021. We have sent Bucks out in style, Eddie has departed, as has Ned Guy and it seems the club is in for a total reset with the board composition still in a state of flux, suffering under the post-McGuire and Do Better Report anomie with a new coach to be appointed, while Harvey earns his chance as the transition mentor for the players. We have showcased a lot of talent already and our primary hope moving forward is that the youngsters can keep getting game exposure over the next nine encounters and that perhaps we see Reef before the end of the season, with the chance for later blooming players like Darcy Cameron to keep developing.

The players:

Rantall – after the anonymity of the scrimmages last year he has finally been given a chance on the bigger stage though has struggled to this juncture. At the moment he is looking below par, having not quite adjusted to the tempo of AFL footy and he is yet to find a niche. The challenge for Harvey is to find a way to utilise his biggest asset which is hit gut running. BELOW AVERAGE

JDG – over the summer he excelled having eighty per cent game time in the middle which was why I was so sanguine about his prospects for the season. He looked fit and happy. An injury hiccup on the cusp of the season hampered him somewhat and for most of the year his form has been a bit patchy and he’s also been the victim of being stationed for long periods in our forward zone wasteland. Nonetheless when he’s been in touch and in the middle he’s been influential and it looks to be his best position with perhaps an occasional switch forward while resting or to change the complexion of our team. Has played a few elite matches. AVERAGE TO GOOD

IQ – while he had a few quiet games which were characterised by some lapses in his usual impeccable disposal and clean ball handling, on balance he has been excellent and he has built further on last year’s strong season with scope for development. He is uncommonly good in the air for his height and shows good judgement as an interceptor. He has attacking intent and one of the players we can rely upon to provide forward momentum. VERY GOOD


Grundy – from the darling of our GF year and beyond he has become some what of a whipping boy or polarising figure. Perhaps he’s a victim of the standards he has set but while he has not reached the heights of his apogee, he hasn’t been poor. Perhaps his biggest weakness has been his inability at times to master his apprentices or nemeses such as Mummy, but there have been quite a few games where he has worked tirelessly, won the bulk of the hit outs and been an important presence around the ground. The connection with his mids needs to improve but this year our midfield has been collectively poor and beaten which means they are part of the problem. GOOD

Elliott – started the year well but halfway through the game against the Blues came a cropper after an ambitious marking attempt. He should be told to eschew these high marking attempts as we need him to remain fit. His six goal haul against the Crows is testimony to his value and how he straightens us up and provides invaluable forward craft which is a rare commodity at Pieland. He is a good pressure player and is usually constructive with ball in hand when he finds himself further up the ground. VERY GOOD WHEN AVAILABLE

Tyler Brown – the jury is still sitting in deliberation because he has had sporadic appearances over the past few years without being able to nail down a spot or a position. There are glimmers of light appearing at times – his hands seem to be sure in traffic and he shows the ability to move well in congestion too. Seems to lack the confidence though to remain calm and back himself. In terms of other aspects of his game, nothing really screams elite. BELOW AVERAGE

Daics – Last year young Josh emerged from the shadows of relative obscurity to play some positive football punctuated by the sort of brilliance one expects of a scion of the Macedonian Marvel. He excelled on a wing, but this year in the maelstrom of traffic is learning a new trade and is finding it hard to cope with opposition attention and to effect his normal precise delivery when encumbered by close-checking opponents and navigating his way out of congestion. We’re all looking forward to him working in tandem with his younger sibling next year. He has put in a couple of performance where he racked up impressive numbers and exerted some influence on the contest. AVERAGE TO GOOD

Bianco – like fellow draftee Rantall, he finally has been able to ply his trade on the big stage, and in his case, in the colours he always dreamt of wearing. His first two games were full of promise, showcasing near elite dual-sided kicking skills and finding a lot of the ball. He also showed poise when taking a clutch shot for goal against Adelaide. He was very quiet against the Dees but will learn from playing a big occasion match under scrutiny. GOOD FOR HIS SHORT STINT IN THE ONES

Noble – polarises opinion because of his curious mix of assets and flaws. He is endowed with good pace which at times extricates him from trouble and also allows him to be a bit of a burst player who can provide forward momentum. On the debit side, he lacks physical strength which can prove fatal in one on one contests. Additionally he has a penchant for finding new bizarre ways to compromise our chances at crucial times of matches. On the plus side he doesn’t drop his bundle after these farcical moments but it does frustrate the fans, and one imagines the coach. AVERAGE TO GOOD


Pendles – his fluctuating form this year has attracted the attention of the fans and even the scribes have finally started wondering about his football mortality. Rumoured to be carrying injuries he has at times struggled to be his normal fluent presence and has at times been taken to the cleaners by direct midfield opponents. The hallmark of his play – that extra time he usually has and the effortless way he moves has been less prominent with him being caught on occasions. Has been tried in defence and up forward and one suggests his future away from mainly midfield minutes is playing the former role as he is capable of being a general of sorts in defence and providing a calm presence when the action is hotting up. Has been back to some very good form in the past couple of weeks, capped off by being adjudged best on ground against the Dees in a seminal match. GOOD

Wilson – another newbie who has tasted the action he is yet to settle into a permanent role. His best fit would seem to be as the third tall in defence and providing some run from the half-back flank. He is generally a sound kick and is reasonably mobile though there is a question mark, from my perspective over his lateral agility. BELOW AVERAGE TO AVERAGE

Adams – has struggled to put a body of work together this season due to injuries but when playing has proven to be an important cog in the middle despite average DE. He provides inside grunt and leadership across the field. Due to return after the bye. NOT ASSESSED

Cameron – is proving to be the quintessential moneyball player who can play multiple roles. Has interchanged in the ruck with Grundy and with Lynch with the latter sidelined, but also held his own at times in the forward line. His strengths are his contested marking and being generally a pretty good kick for a big man. As a ruckman he is not averse to filling the hole in defence and taking a strong saving mark. His weakness is his lack of consistency because as someone suggested, there is a chasm between his best and worst and one never knows what Darcy will turn up. Pleasingly he is apt to stand up in some key moments. AVERAGE TO GOOD

Lynch – it’s great that he has received an opportunity to play in his preferred, natural position. One will never know what inspired the brainstrust to try him essentially as a forward against the Lions last year on the AA FB. During match simulation he tracks the ground well against Grundy and has always won his share of hit outs but has never shown the aptitude to play as a forward. He is a popular player so one imagines his presence boosts team morale. GOOD

Mayne – the oft-maligned stalwart keeps on plugging away and alternately frustrates but reassures the patrons. He has taken gutsy saving marks at times and is always willing to put his body on the line but is also arguably the main ingredient in our tendency to play at a slow tempo when our forwards are better served by some chaos ball flying their way. Even yesterday he became involved with Madge and Noble in a chipping contest which saw a turnover goal against the trend of play. He’s not the answer moving forward but has been consistent this year in following what have clearly been orders from the coach and with some callow youth out there we probably need his type to blend into the mix. GOOD


Callum – Somehow until yesterday hanging on for dear life in the team or on the periphery through the agency of the medical sub, the older Brown has not cemented a place this year, nor has he demonstrated improvement. He still struggles to kick over the proverbial jam tin and one suspects the psychological barrage is so great from missed clutch goals, that he is not likely to kick one of these in the near, or even distant future. He has clean hands and attacks the ball maniacally, but he will need more than these traits to remain on the list. BELOW AVERAGE

Macrae – was hoping for more from him as he looked the most accomplished recruit during the summer. Did well against the Weagles but then struggled to get his hand on the ball and looked a bit light and overawed at times. He is ultra determined and wants to do well so we can watch with interest as to how he progresses for the rest of the year.

Greenwood – appeared briefly with minimal impact and has been suffering from ongoing post-concussion symptoms which one surmises will spell the end of his career. NOT ASSESSED

Kelly – perhaps the biggest disappointment this season as his one appearance in 2020 seemed to be a teasing foretaste of what he might have to offer. Briefly strutted his stuff but was virtually rendered anonymous both forward and back. One suspects that his best position is as a key defender and maybe replacement for Roughy but he needs to string together some very good games in the reserves to warrant selection and develop the confidence to help him move up a grade. BELOW AVERAGE

Ruscoe – appeared briefly early in the season before injury and form issues derailed his season. Was very poor during his few outings (even as the medical sub) and one has to wonder what are his purported strengths because his weaknesses are clearly apparent. His lack of aggression and softness detracted from the team performance and he struggled to get his hands on the pill. He may be at the crossroads in terms of list retention. BELOW AVERAGE.

Sidey – an unusual season from him. At times he has racked up big numbers without having the influence he would once have had with this ubiquity. He still appears to be moving well but has developed a carelessness in his game with his delivery which has resulted in a growing casual clanger count. At times he places his colleagues under pressure with his decision-making. Paradoxically though he is capable of lighting up the stage with reminders of his best moves and opportune game-changing moments. AVERAGE TO GOOD

Roughy – like Cameron he is virtually a steal, especially compared with the price of others. He has been the cornerstone of our deep defence at times and solid as a rock for most of the year. He can take a contested mark and lock down on key opponents. Occasionally he will display some attacking flair and stroll out of defence. Dependable and durable. VERY GOOD

JT – while at times he has bobbed up to become more involved, he has still not approached the acme of his achievement in 2018 and appears to be marking time. Frustratingly there are games when just about everything he touches turns to trash. He, like Mayne and Cal seems to have the little man on his shoulder when he tries to convert what should be his bread and butter. AVERAGE

Crisp – surely the raging favourite for the Copeland. Not only perdurability personified, he is consistent with his output. One can rely upon him to gather the footy prolifically and be constructive with the way he works between the arcs. He is also very strong overhead. His glaring weakness is that there will be sprinkles of turnovers in between his great forays forward and around the ground, sometimes including catastrophic errors, but like Noble, he doesn’t get flustered by this. Maybe our only entrant in the AA squad. WELL ABOVE AVERAGE

Poulter – arguably our young recruit of the year. He has slotted in well and looks at home on the wing, though does have aspirations as an inside mid. One suspects he will have to build up his body for this to happen. For someone who has a light frame, he is not afraid to tackle with vigour or throw himself into packs. He has shown that he can kick important goals and while he tends to put too much air into his kicks at this juncture, when he develops greater poise, his kicking should become more consistent. Also has some evasive prowess and tricks in his toolkit yet to showcase. GOOD

Murphy – is yet to nail down a spot but at least is getting some game time, unlike the frustrations of last year. We will need to see more of him to know where his position might best suit him and the team. He needs to work on his physique and kicking, but his marking is promising. Also generally is a smooth mover and may yet surprise. BELOW AVERAGE

Moore – In the first two rounds arguably played the best games anyone has this year but tapered off a bit when ill-advisedly sent forward and in Ross Lyon’s view it cost us the GC game. When in defence he has been consistent to outstanding. Irritates fans with some miscued kicking but is innately aggressive and loves to take the game and opponents on. If he focussed on spoiling first and marking when he knows he can nail it, it is hard to see how he can be beaten with his athleticism and height. VERY GOOD

McCreery – perhaps the late bonus of the draft. Will never be the polished product but is super determined and a player who loves applying pressure wherever he is. Has disaplyed some forward craft and should complement Jamie well. Has shown that he is quite a good kick and has solid hands.
GOOD TO VERY GOOD

WHE – halfway through the year somebody stole his invisibility cloak and he emerged from the closet fully skilled and awake. Playing him further up the ground and has allowed him to express his best traits which include relative speed, neat kicking, rangy marking, and a knack for becoming involved at key moments which he is capable of demonstrating his polish in. GOOD

Ginnivan – untried at senior level

Henry – IMHO he was elevated prematurely for while he showed some promising attributes in match simulations, he more WHE in his phantom like guise, than Jack Crisp. His body needs a few summers in the gym and then we can better gauge his real potential. BELOW AVERAGE

Sier – another who has to be at the crossroads by dint of his inability to stay on the park and lack of consistency on it. In fairness he hasn’t had a concerted run at consolidating his spot since his breakout year in 2018, but there are constant whispers surrounding his commitment etc. so the jury is also deliberating on his fate. BELOW AVERAGE

Maynard – started the season slowly, and characterised by repetitive disposal errors but he’s built momentum over the past month and we’ve seen the tough and bustling Maynard of previous seasons. He is vital as part of our defensive unit and when in top form allows us to penetrate more from this line. Was unlucky not to be awarded the medal yesterday. GOOD

Howe – just when he appeared to be recapturing form, he succumbed to injury again. Due to be fit again in five to six weeks. His absence has allowed us to try some fresh talent. NOT ASSESSED

Checkers – has had a chequered year characterised by fluctuating form. It is not easy to shoulder the burden of being the beacon of light in the barren zone, but his work rate has never relented. Yesterday he managed to hit the scoreboard meaningfully again after a lean periods. Hasn’t been his best year but he is a key member of the attack. AVERAGE TO GOOD

Cox – seemingly on the outer and he has battled form and injury concerns. Maybe the new kids on the block have supplanted him because he appears to be too one-dimensional despite the brief flurries of excitement that he provides.

 

[Markfs]

you've got to be committed to post in this thread...

 

[legendstatus]

Yep


On iPhone using BigFooty.com mobile app

 

[76woodenspooners]

You lost me at me at Tyler Brown projected 2023 player . Do you watch any games?

I share your concerns about Tyler Brown, but IMO there are around 15 players who are more likely to lose their spot (Mayne, JT, …, …)

So I reckon if we find ourselves delisting Tyler Brown then we’re in real trouble. Josh Daicos didn’t look too promising after 16 games either but he’s come good.

 

[76woodenspooners]

you've got to be committed to post in this thread...

To which particular institution?

 

[Jen2310]

I share your concerns about Tyler Brown, but IMO there are around 15 players who are more likely to lose their spot (Mayne, JT, …, …)

So I reckon if we find ourselves delisting Tyler Brown then we’re in real trouble. Josh Daicos didn’t look too promising after 16 games either but he’s come good.

Plus he only debuted in 2020. Was always a long term prospect given his development. But He has shown enough signs. A bit more muscle and then he can be used through the midfield where it suits him.

 

[Quicky]

My take

Key Defenders: Darcy Moore, Jordan Roughead, Mark Keane

General Defenders: Brayden Maynard, Isaac Quaynor, John Noble

Ruck: Brodie Grundy, Max Lynch

Midfield: Taylor Adams, Jack Crisp, Steele Sidebottom, Josh Daicos, Jordan De Goey, Finlay Macrae, Reef McInnes, Trent Bianco, Caleb Poulter, Nick Daicos

Key Forward: Brody Mihocek, Darcy Cameron

General Forward: Jamie Elliott, Will Hoskin-Elliott, Beau McCreery

I'm not so bullish on the long term futures of Tyler Brown, Jack Madgen or Nathan Murphy.

I'm not writing off our developing guys (1st and 2nd year players) it's just too early to judge.

I think it's likely that Crisp and De Goey will need to step up in midfield. That's just my projection. Where we see these two long term may influence where we perceive our needs.

I think our future defence looks strong but lacks depth, particularly mediums.

We are really lacking key and general forwards.

 

[magpies42]

tl;dr: As part of this exercise, I’ve labelled which of our current list of 44 players are projected to be on the list for the 2023 season, as a test of how set we are for the future. I count 25 players - and even that includes fringe selection Lynch and yet-to-debut McInnes. That basically means that some portion of the remaining 19 players who haven’t really showed anything need to step up (Rantall, Henry, etc) or otherwise we’ll need to turn over around ten list spots for each of our next two off seasons. That really highlights why the club have been pumping games into the kids, otherwise in a year or two we’ll be in trouble.


1. Jay Rantall. (Out of contract) Named in four games this season. At least two of those were as sub. Now in his second season at the club and IMO has been given opportunities that he would struggle to get if our team wasn’t rebuilding and actively “playing the kids”. I’ve seen him live twice this year (VFL game v Swans and AFL game v Melbourne) and he looked like he struggled to keep up with the pace of the game and know where his teammates are. Like all our players, I hope he does well, but he’s got a lot of catching up to do if he’s going to make it.

2. Jordan DeGoey. (Projected 2023 player) Only missed one game to date this year, and about to miss another through suspension. Kicked 18 goals in his 12 games, including a 6 goal haul against the citadel defences of the North Melbourne backline. When he’s hot he’s on fire, and when he’s not he’s chilling out with a cocktail in hand in a Reykjavik spa. My spider sense tells me that DeGoey has the most to gain (or maybe lose) by having a fresh senior coach to work under. I hope he does, because if he doesn’t find consistency I reckon he’ll be put up for trade in the coming years in much the same way as Heath Shaw was. We’ll all get the shits about that, deal with it, and move on. Just like we did with Heath Shaw.

3. Isaac Quaynor. (Projected 2023 player) Now plays more like a 75 game player, than the 28 games he’s actually played. His Progression this season has been noticeable and I doubt anybody will be the least bit surprised if we reconvene in a review thread at the end of the season and see this lads smiling face as the new dictionary definition of “breakout year”. He’s become an intercepting player in recent weeks and what I’d like to see him work on in the second half of 2021 is to become more of a damaging rebounding player of the ilk of Heritier Lumumba when he was at the peak of his powers.

4. Brodie Grundy. (Projected 2023 player) Didn’t have the most auspicious start to the season, but did get his mojo back before he got injured. He’s expected to be back next round and it’ll be interesting to see how this different cat responds to the caretaker coach. IMO Brodie’s challenge for the rest of 2021 is to justify his role in the leadership group. He clearly has a presence, but I think he needs to do a bit more with it.

5. Jamie Elliott. (Projected 2023 player) Now in his 10th season at the club. I reckon he’s been in our best 22 for the entirety of that 10 years. The problem with Elliott is that he’s only played 128 games in that 10 years - around 13 games a year. A player of his calibre needs to be more available than that. His challenge is to consistently stay on the park in the way that a lad like Mihocek can manage. If he can play every game for the rest of the season, kick over a goal a game, and do his bit with the assists and defensive forward craft, that’d be a good outcome, and a good springboard for another good 3 or so seasons we can reasonably expect out of him.

6. Tyler Brown. (Projected 2023 player) Played 7 of 13 games so far in 2021. Now in his fourth season at the club and only played 16 games. We’ve been spoilt by having a lad like Quaynor on the list who has been in the list a year less, played a dozen more games, and has developed more … but some lads do take a little longer. Josh Daicos was at roughly the same stage of development at the same stage of his career. If Collingwood is to go anywhere in the next decade, players like Tyler Brown do need to start delivering, because players like Pendlebury won’t be around forever, and there are a bunch of players who currently have less to offer than Tyler does. His challenge is to string a few consistent games together before the end of the season.

7. Josh Daicos. (Projected 2023 player) I lied. I told a big porky pie when I suggested that Quaynor could become the embodiment of “Breakout year”, ‘cause Josh is the legitimate owner of that in 2021 so far. Josh has been largely hiding in the shadow of his father and yet-to-even-be-on-an-AFL-list-let-alone-play-an-AFL-game-our-saviour-our-messiah brother Nick … but this year Josh has ducked and weaved and wiggled his hips through the opposition defences more than a tango dancer with a red rose between his teeth and delivered with wanton abandon bullet passes with pinpoint accuracy onto the chest of our startled and surprised forwards. Josh, keep doing what you’re doing, your future looks bright.

8. Trent Bianco. (Out of contract) (Projected 2023 player) One of season 2021’s debutants, played three games, and gee, we can see in those three games that we’ve unearthed a beauty. Highlight was his second game of AFL footy where he got 16 touches, 6 contested posessions, 4 tackles and kicked a goal. He just need to put in a body of work to gain experience and continue his development.

9. John Noble. (Out of contract) (Projected 2023 player) Been on the list for two full years (since mid season draft 2019) and he’s already played 35 games. He’s probably one of the most polarising players on our list, folks either …

… love him for taking the game on, his run and carry, and his breaking the lines, changing angles, and having Selwood-esque ability to draw the high tackle …
… or they hate him for kicking it straight to an opposition player in their forward 50, or getting caught with the footy 30 meters out from goal.

I’m in the former camp. He roles the dice probably more than any other player on our list, and IMO he wins far more plays than he loses. He’ll get better as he spends longer in the system. Do teams with players like John Noble on their list win Premierships? Yes IMO. John’s challenge for the rest of 2021 is to build better connection with his team-mates, and keep developing his craft.

10. Scott Pendlebury. (Out of contract) Not much to say except to lament that this bloke isn’t going to be around forever. Scott’s challenge for 2021 is to continue to help those around him to become the best version of themselves. In the second half of the season that will mean the freedom to allow his team-mates to make more mistakes and to learn from them.

11. Mark Keane. (Projected 2023 player) Played four games in season 2021. With Darcy Moore and Jeremy Howe likely out for the rest of the season, would think that he’ll get more chances. I think he’s done alright and look forward to seeing him develop more.

12. Tom Wilson. (Out of contract) Played three games in season 2021. IMO he’s shown enough to justify more opportunities in the second half of 2021 and I look forward to see him develop more and show us why he should be promoted to take a senior list spot at the end of this year.

13. Taylor Adams. (Projected 2023 Player) Only played 5 games this season.

I had a dream last night that in the second half of the season Caroline Wilson has a long form interview with Mark Korda. In that interview Caro gives Korda a Grilling about WTF he was thinking inviting the Bulldogs loving, Collingwood hating heathen that is Bride O’Donnell into the inner sanctum? Korda quietly nods, looks whilstfully into the distance, takes a pregnant pause to gather his thoughts, and turns back to Caro and says “Well, Caro, you see it‘s like this. We have strong leaders and talented players on our list like Taylor Adams who has only been fit for five games this season, Jeremy Howe also five games. Darcy Moore will miss half a season - all three of those players are in our leadership group and are the first handful of players picked when fit. Add to that Jamie Elliott has only played four games this season. I think that’s unacceptable, and clearly if we want to be competitive we need to change that. Now neither myself nor any of the other six board members have NFI how to hold our medicos and injury prevention folks to account on this … and trust me if we could find a lifelong Collingwood member, ex elite athlete with a medical background with the qualifications to be on our board we would have nabbed ‘em.” Korda shrugs “But in the absence of that, Bridie is the most qualified person to help us head our injury prevention program from a board and governance point of view, in much the same way as Sizer is heading our response to the Do Better report, and Licuria is heading the process for selecting our next coach“.

In response to the interview Jeff Browne releases a press statement saying “I reckon Korda made a decent point. I apologise for the all the nasty things I said about O’Donnell, she needs to be on our our board. I hereby withdraw my support for an EGM and suspend my campaign for Presidency. Floreat Pica”

14. Darcy Cameron. (Out of contract) (Projected 2023 Player) Has played 9 games for a return of 13 goals this season with his best haul being the 4 against Melbourne on Queens Birthday. He’s a late bloomer, having only played 20 AFL games and being 25 years of age. He didn’t look too promising coming into this season, but he’s generally held his spot keeping Mason Cox out, and getting sticky hands. His challenge for the rest of this season is cement his spot and to prove he’s no inconsistent Jesse White.

15. Max Lynch. (Out of contract) (Projected 2023 player) It’s probably the toughest spot on our list being the backup ruckman for the super durable, AA and B&F quality Brodie Grundy. Nevertheless, this season he’s been required to step up the the plate, and that’s exactly what he’s done, playing a cracking game and winning the hitouts in only his third game of footy, which was against Max Gawn. He needs to build on that in the second half (most likely in the 2nds) and maybe at the end of 2022 might get better opportunities to play elsewhere a ‘la Jarryd Witts.

16. Chris Mayne. Out of contract Played 9 games this season for a total of 240 in our career. IMO his biggest strength is that he plays a very credible role of somebody who our young lads can look at and believe “If I can work hard and apply myself I can take that bloke’s spot”. His challenge for the rest of the season is to help develop the young lads on our list.

17. Callum Brown. Played 12 games this season (2 as sub), averaged around 10 posies a game, kicked a couple of goals for the season. That’s all a bit underwhelming for a player who has played 61 games in his career. His challenge for the rest of the season is to justify his spot.

18. Finlay Macrae. (Projected 2023 player) Played 4 games early in the season, with one as sub. For mine has been a bit of a goldilocks player (not great like Bianco, nor not poor like Henry) and for a four game player there’s no shame in that. Has he been injured? Surprised a player like Rantell would be getting games ahead of him. His challenge the rest of the season is to continue to develop his craft, get the attention of the new coach and to earn more senior opportunities.

19. Levi Greenwood. (Out of contract) Played 2 games this season and has been out with concussion symptoms. Despite persistent rumours around here from mate of a mate‘s cousin’s girlfriend’s sister, that Greenwood will never play again due to his concussion symptoms, he still remains very much engaged at the club and rocks up to training despite the temptation to do finger painting instead. Regardless, you’d reckon that as a 32 year old out of contract that this will be Levi’s last season. He’s challenge for the rest of the season is to help develop the new generation coming through.

20. Will Kelly. Played 2 games and showed nothing IMO. I know he’s been mentioned by many at the club as being part of our bright future, but I’m yet to see it.

21. Trey Ruscoe. (Out of contract) After playing 4 games last year, he’s only played three so far this year, being kept out of the team by the likes of McCreary. Warms the cockles of the heart to see young players fight for spots. Ruscoe still has plenty of time, and his challenge for the rest of this season is to take JT‘s spot on the teamsheet.

22. Steele Sidebottom. (Projected 2023 player) Steele is starting to lose his touch in his autumn years, but his onfield leadership and presence is essential for developing players. I hope he’s got at least another few seasons in him. A good challenge for him for the rest of this season would be to work with players to develop their leadership qualities, to develop their skills at bringing other players into the game around them. Maybe this includes players like Crisp or maybe even Quaynor (Daicos already has it naturally, players like Poulter need to focus on their own game before they start worrying about others)

23. Jordan Roughead. (Projected 2023 player) Played 12 games and been a reasonably solid contributor to our reasonably miserly defense which has let through the sixth lowest points of teams so far this AFL season. Will play his 200th game as a 30 year old before the season is out, and unfortunately I don’t see too many young players of his type queuing up to take his spot. Keep doing what you do Roughy.

24. Josh Thomas. (Out of contract) Played 12 games this season. I normally think this lad gets unfairly marked harshly by many people … but I also give more credence to player performances in games I see live … and I was very disappointed with him in the Queens Birthday game here in Sydney. QB was a white hot game, and if Collingwood is to get any good, it can’t afford to carry players who can‘t respond well to the pressure in white hot games. JT’s challenge for the rest of the season is to loosen the inhibitions ‘cause he’s playing for his spot in the list. At best he’ll find his new self under the next coach, at worst he’ll make some young lad work hard to take his spot.

25. Jack Crisp. (Projected 2023 player) Unbackable favourite to take the Copeland trophy you’d think. The “steak knives” moniker was retired a long time ago. Time for the “Duracell Bunny” moniker now. He doesn’t have much to work on, but perhaps a good challenge for the rest of the season is develop his leadership skills to bring others into the game around him. He doesn’t have worry about his own game anymore.

26. Reef McInnes. (Projected 2023 player) Our highly touted first pick of last draft period has been mostly injured. Haven’t been following his injury status, but if he’s fit and a chance then his challenge for the rest of 2021 is to earn a taste of senior footy.

27. Caleb Poulter. (Projected 2023 player) Debutant of 2021 so far for mine (with McCreary a close second, and Bianco only being behind them because he doesn’t have the same body of work yet). Caleb has played 7 games in the first 13 rounds, and averaged around 18 disposals a game. Keep that mullet flowing freely Caleb!

28. Nathan Murphy. (Projected 2023 player) Played 7 games, with his highlight being his gutsy Mark of the Year nomination against the Suns. His challenge for the rest of the season is to look after himself in games, and find a bit more consistency, and perhaps find a bit more of the footy.

29. Liam McMahon. Yet to debut.

30. Darcy Moore. (Projected 2023 player) Disappointingly out for the rest of the season.

31. Beau McCreary. (projected 2023 player) I joked at the start of the season that this kid sounds like a character out of a Banjo Paterson poem. After watching his 8 games, gotta say that he plays like a character lifted out of the Geebung Polo club. Kicked 11 goals and averaged over 4 (hard) tackles a game. If this kid is a peek into our future, then our future looks mighty bright.

32. Will Hoskin-Elliott. (projected 2023 player) Played 12 games this season. I reckon fatherhood is treating this bloke well ‘cause in the last body of games he seems to be playing with a bit more poise and his game is the better for it. His next game will be his 150th. I’ve been a little disappointed that he hasn’t broken out to be the player he could be. He’s a strong mark, and has got good footy smarts, just lacks that drive to take the game by the scruff of the neck. I’d love to see him respond well to the new coach, and better realise his potential on his path to 200 games.

33. Jack Ginnivan. (Out of contract) Yet to debut.

34. Isaac Chug. (Out of contract) Yet to debut.

35. Oliver Henry. I saw his debut game live in round 1 and it was a bit underwhelming. He’s played 3 games and yet yo show something. Time is on his side.

36. Brayden Sier. (Out of contract) Played 7 games this year and has either been subbed on or subbed off for three of them. IMO he’s largely kept his place on the list more by his potential than by anything he‘s actually delivered. Another player I hope will respond well to the new coach and start to consistently demonstrate what he can do.

37. Brayden Maynard. (projected 2023 player) After a slow start to the season his game has improved to the point where IMO he’d be second on the Copeland leaderboard. Couldn’t ask anything more of this guy, he brings a passion to his game that is an inspiration to his team mates. Would love to see him in the 2022 leadership group.

38. Jeremy Howe. Played 5 games this season before being effectively injured for the rest of the season. (Only played 9 games the past 2 seasons) He’s about to celebrate his 31st birthday, so sadly you’d think he wouldn’t have too many seasons left in him. He still has the skills and the onfield leadership, but can he get on the park?

39. Aidan Begg. Yet to debut.

40. Ash Johnson. Yet to debut.

41. Brodie Mihocek. (Projected 2023 player) Played in all 13 games, been durable, kicked 21 goals. In a champion team Brodie could easily fill that third tall role, but as our current leading goal kicker he probably carries a bigger load than he would elsewhere.

42. Retired (wonder if there’ll be talk of bringing it out of retirement now that Ed is no longer President? New President isn’t hugely popular and is unlikely to want to take risks on such things)

43. Anton Tohill (Out of contract) Coming up to three years on the list without debuting. Doesn’t look good for him.

44. Jack Madgen. (Out of contract) (Projected 2023 player) Played 10 games this season and after a rather inauspicious start has got it together in the last few games and I reckon he’s showing something. Shows good leadership in the backline and reaps his rewards through hard work.

46. Mason Cox. (Out of contract) Has missed a bunch of games through injury, but despite that, there have been games he has been available and not selected. Hopefully he’s able to start with a clean sheet to impress the next coach but probably gone end of season unless something changes dramatically.

* Thanks to Maggie5 for the list of players out of contract.

Thanks for the write, I agree in parts and disagree in others.

Rantall for me is the perfect example of recruiting an athlete and expecting to make it at the AFL level. To me he is not a footballer, might be a late bloomer and tough going developing in these crazy times with limited VFL exposure due to COVID. I wouldn’t be upset if he was delisted, equally if he was retained. The club will know if he can make the grade.

if Jordy doesn’t find some consistency by years end I think he should be trade bait. Might spur him into action or get us a couple of first rounders to replenish stocks.

Sidey has passed his best, he is fumbling and making uncharacteristic errors. To be fair to him he’s carrying a load he shouldn’t be at his age. I would trade him also, he could contribute significantly in a week accomplished side.

Pendles should be resigned but should give up the captaincy, Adam’s is my pick for that or Moore.

Lynch should get a few more games at AFL level and then be sent back to VFL to play forward of the ball, needs to learn to clunk them. That skill comes last with ruckman.

Cox should be traded, I feel Cameron has edged ahead. Weare already carrying too many almost forwards.

Keane stays, Tohill I’d love to see get a game.

delist C Brown, Ruscoe, Madgen, Wilson and Noble. Wilson is also not a footballer, clogging them list. Noble for me is too much of a liability. Won’t be in our premiership team so I say dump at some point. He is a good squad player, so potentially gets an extension if we have no alternatives.

Murphy, Mccreery, Daicos and IQ have outstanding futures ahead of them in the black and white.

have been disappointed by bothe Macrae and Henry so far. They have showed limited signs. Not easy as a young kid coming into a shambolic side. I’ll back them in on pedigree.

 

[sr36]

Nice read. I think you undersold Roughhead's year. He's been bloody good. He's clunking the footy as consistently as anyone in the league at the moment.

 

[Leviathan Pie]

tl;dr: As part of this exercise, I’ve labelled which of our current list of 44 players are projected to be on the list for the 2023 season, as a test of how set we are for the future. I count 25 players - and even that includes fringe selection Lynch and yet-to-debut McInnes. That basically means that some portion of the remaining 19 players who haven’t really showed anything need to step up (Rantall, Henry, etc) or otherwise we’ll need to turn over around ten list spots for each of our next two off seasons. That really highlights why the club have been pumping games into the kids, otherwise in a year or two we’ll be in trouble.


1. Jay Rantall. (Out of contract) Named in four games this season. At least two of those were as sub. Now in his second season at the club and IMO has been given opportunities that he would struggle to get if our team wasn’t rebuilding and actively “playing the kids”. I’ve seen him live twice this year (VFL game v Swans and AFL game v Melbourne) and he looked like he struggled to keep up with the pace of the game and know where his teammates are. Like all our players, I hope he does well, but he’s got a lot of catching up to do if he’s going to make it.

2. Jordan DeGoey. (Projected 2023 player) Only missed one game to date this year, and about to miss another through suspension. Kicked 18 goals in his 12 games, including a 6 goal haul against the citadel defences of the North Melbourne backline. When he’s hot he’s on fire, and when he’s not he’s chilling out with a cocktail in hand in a Reykjavik spa. My spider sense tells me that DeGoey has the most to gain (or maybe lose) by having a fresh senior coach to work under. I hope he does, because if he doesn’t find consistency I reckon he’ll be put up for trade in the coming years in much the same way as Heath Shaw was. We’ll all get the shits about that, deal with it, and move on. Just like we did with Heath Shaw.

3. Isaac Quaynor. (Projected 2023 player) Now plays more like a 75 game player, than the 28 games he’s actually played. His Progression this season has been noticeable and I doubt anybody will be the least bit surprised if we reconvene in a review thread at the end of the season and see this lads smiling face as the new dictionary definition of “breakout year”. He’s become an intercepting player in recent weeks and what I’d like to see him work on in the second half of 2021 is to become more of a damaging rebounding player of the ilk of Heritier Lumumba when he was at the peak of his powers.

4. Brodie Grundy. (Projected 2023 player) Didn’t have the most auspicious start to the season, but did get his mojo back before he got injured. He’s expected to be back next round and it’ll be interesting to see how this different cat responds to the caretaker coach. IMO Brodie’s challenge for the rest of 2021 is to justify his role in the leadership group. He clearly has a presence, but I think he needs to do a bit more with it.

5. Jamie Elliott. (Projected 2023 player) Now in his 10th season at the club. I reckon he’s been in our best 22 for the entirety of that 10 years. The problem with Elliott is that he’s only played 128 games in that 10 years - around 13 games a year. A player of his calibre needs to be more available than that. His challenge is to consistently stay on the park in the way that a lad like Mihocek can manage. If he can play every game for the rest of the season, kick over a goal a game, and do his bit with the assists and defensive forward craft, that’d be a good outcome, and a good springboard for another good 3 or so seasons we can reasonably expect out of him.

6. Tyler Brown. (Projected 2023 player) Played 7 of 13 games so far in 2021. Now in his fourth season at the club and only played 16 games. We’ve been spoilt by having a lad like Quaynor on the list who has been in the list a year less, played a dozen more games, and has developed more … but some lads do take a little longer. Josh Daicos was at roughly the same stage of development at the same stage of his career. If Collingwood is to go anywhere in the next decade, players like Tyler Brown do need to start delivering, because players like Pendlebury won’t be around forever, and there are a bunch of players who currently have less to offer than Tyler does. His challenge is to string a few consistent games together before the end of the season.

7. Josh Daicos. (Projected 2023 player) I lied. I told a big porky pie when I suggested that Quaynor could become the embodiment of “Breakout year”, ‘cause Josh is the legitimate owner of that in 2021 so far. Josh has been largely hiding in the shadow of his father and yet-to-even-be-on-an-AFL-list-let-alone-play-an-AFL-game-our-saviour-our-messiah brother Nick … but this year Josh has ducked and weaved and wiggled his hips through the opposition defences more than a tango dancer with a red rose between his teeth and delivered with wanton abandon bullet passes with pinpoint accuracy onto the chest of our startled and surprised forwards. Josh, keep doing what you’re doing, your future looks bright.

8. Trent Bianco. (Out of contract) (Projected 2023 player) One of season 2021’s debutants, played three games, and gee, we can see in those three games that we’ve unearthed a beauty. Highlight was his second game of AFL footy where he got 16 touches, 6 contested posessions, 4 tackles and kicked a goal. He just need to put in a body of work to gain experience and continue his development.

9. John Noble. (Out of contract) (Projected 2023 player) Been on the list for two full years (since mid season draft 2019) and he’s already played 35 games. He’s probably one of the most polarising players on our list, folks either …

… love him for taking the game on, his run and carry, and his breaking the lines, changing angles, and having Selwood-esque ability to draw the high tackle …
… or they hate him for kicking it straight to an opposition player in their forward 50, or getting caught with the footy 30 meters out from goal.

I’m in the former camp. He roles the dice probably more than any other player on our list, and IMO he wins far more plays than he loses. He’ll get better as he spends longer in the system. Do teams with players like John Noble on their list win Premierships? Yes IMO. John’s challenge for the rest of 2021 is to build better connection with his team-mates, and keep developing his craft.

10. Scott Pendlebury. (Out of contract) Not much to say except to lament that this bloke isn’t going to be around forever. Scott’s challenge for 2021 is to continue to help those around him to become the best version of themselves. In the second half of the season that will mean the freedom to allow his team-mates to make more mistakes and to learn from them.

11. Mark Keane. (Projected 2023 player) Played four games in season 2021. With Darcy Moore and Jeremy Howe likely out for the rest of the season, would think that he’ll get more chances. I think he’s done alright and look forward to seeing him develop more.

12. Tom Wilson. (Out of contract) Played three games in season 2021. IMO he’s shown enough to justify more opportunities in the second half of 2021 and I look forward to see him develop more and show us why he should be promoted to take a senior list spot at the end of this year.

13. Taylor Adams. (Projected 2023 Player) Only played 5 games this season.

I had a dream last night that in the second half of the season Caroline Wilson has a long form interview with Mark Korda. In that interview Caro gives Korda a Grilling about WTF he was thinking inviting the Bulldogs loving, Collingwood hating heathen that is Bride O’Donnell into the inner sanctum? Korda quietly nods, looks whilstfully into the distance, takes a pregnant pause to gather his thoughts, and turns back to Caro and says “Well, Caro, you see it‘s like this. We have strong leaders and talented players on our list like Taylor Adams who has only been fit for five games this season, Jeremy Howe also five games. Darcy Moore will miss half a season - all three of those players are in our leadership group and are the first handful of players picked when fit. Add to that Jamie Elliott has only played four games this season. I think that’s unacceptable, and clearly if we want to be competitive we need to change that. Now neither myself nor any of the other six board members have NFI how to hold our medicos and injury prevention folks to account on this … and trust me if we could find a lifelong Collingwood member, ex elite athlete with a medical background with the qualifications to be on our board we would have nabbed ‘em.” Korda shrugs “But in the absence of that, Bridie is the most qualified person to help us head our injury prevention program from a board and governance point of view, in much the same way as Sizer is heading our response to the Do Better report, and Licuria is heading the process for selecting our next coach“.

In response to the interview Jeff Browne releases a press statement saying “I reckon Korda made a decent point. I apologise for the all the nasty things I said about O’Donnell, she needs to be on our our board. I hereby withdraw my support for an EGM and suspend my campaign for Presidency. Floreat Pica”

14. Darcy Cameron. (Out of contract) (Projected 2023 Player) Has played 9 games for a return of 13 goals this season with his best haul being the 4 against Melbourne on Queens Birthday. He’s a late bloomer, having only played 20 AFL games and being 25 years of age. He didn’t look too promising coming into this season, but he’s generally held his spot keeping Mason Cox out, and getting sticky hands. His challenge for the rest of this season is cement his spot and to prove he’s no inconsistent Jesse White.

15. Max Lynch. (Out of contract) (Projected 2023 player) It’s probably the toughest spot on our list being the backup ruckman for the super durable, AA and B&F quality Brodie Grundy. Nevertheless, this season he’s been required to step up the the plate, and that’s exactly what he’s done, playing a cracking game and winning the hitouts in only his third game of footy, which was against Max Gawn. He needs to build on that in the second half (most likely in the 2nds) and maybe at the end of 2022 might get better opportunities to play elsewhere a ‘la Jarryd Witts.

16. Chris Mayne. Out of contract Played 9 games this season for a total of 240 in our career. IMO his biggest strength is that he plays a very credible role of somebody who our young lads can look at and believe “If I can work hard and apply myself I can take that bloke’s spot”. His challenge for the rest of the season is to help develop the young lads on our list.

17. Callum Brown. Played 12 games this season (2 as sub), averaged around 10 posies a game, kicked a couple of goals for the season. That’s all a bit underwhelming for a player who has played 61 games in his career. His challenge for the rest of the season is to justify his spot.

18. Finlay Macrae. (Projected 2023 player) Played 4 games early in the season, with one as sub. For mine has been a bit of a goldilocks player (not great like Bianco, nor not poor like Henry) and for a four game player there’s no shame in that. Has he been injured? Surprised a player like Rantell would be getting games ahead of him. His challenge the rest of the season is to continue to develop his craft, get the attention of the new coach and to earn more senior opportunities.

19. Levi Greenwood. (Out of contract) Played 2 games this season and has been out with concussion symptoms. Despite persistent rumours around here from mate of a mate‘s cousin’s girlfriend’s sister, that Greenwood will never play again due to his concussion symptoms, he still remains very much engaged at the club and rocks up to training despite the temptation to do finger painting instead. Regardless, you’d reckon that as a 32 year old out of contract that this will be Levi’s last season. He’s challenge for the rest of the season is to help develop the new generation coming through.

20. Will Kelly. Played 2 games and showed nothing IMO. I know he’s been mentioned by many at the club as being part of our bright future, but I’m yet to see it.

21. Trey Ruscoe. (Out of contract) After playing 4 games last year, he’s only played three so far this year, being kept out of the team by the likes of McCreary. Warms the cockles of the heart to see young players fight for spots. Ruscoe still has plenty of time, and his challenge for the rest of this season is to take JT‘s spot on the teamsheet.

22. Steele Sidebottom. (Projected 2023 player) Steele is starting to lose his touch in his autumn years, but his onfield leadership and presence is essential for developing players. I hope he’s got at least another few seasons in him. A good challenge for him for the rest of this season would be to work with players to develop their leadership qualities, to develop their skills at bringing other players into the game around them. Maybe this includes players like Crisp or maybe even Quaynor (Daicos already has it naturally, players like Poulter need to focus on their own game before they start worrying about others)

23. Jordan Roughead. (Projected 2023 player) Played 12 games and been a reasonably solid contributor to our reasonably miserly defense which has let through the sixth lowest points of teams so far this AFL season. Will play his 200th game as a 30 year old before the season is out, and unfortunately I don’t see too many young players of his type queuing up to take his spot. Keep doing what you do Roughy.

24. Josh Thomas. (Out of contract) Played 12 games this season. I normally think this lad gets unfairly marked harshly by many people … but I also give more credence to player performances in games I see live … and I was very disappointed with him in the Queens Birthday game here in Sydney. QB was a white hot game, and if Collingwood is to get any good, it can’t afford to carry players who can‘t respond well to the pressure in white hot games. JT’s challenge for the rest of the season is to loosen the inhibitions ‘cause he’s playing for his spot in the list. At best he’ll find his new self under the next coach, at worst he’ll make some young lad work hard to take his spot.

25. Jack Crisp. (Projected 2023 player) Unbackable favourite to take the Copeland trophy you’d think. The “steak knives” moniker was retired a long time ago. Time for the “Duracell Bunny” moniker now. He doesn’t have much to work on, but perhaps a good challenge for the rest of the season is develop his leadership skills to bring others into the game around him. He doesn’t have worry about his own game anymore.

26. Reef McInnes. (Projected 2023 player) Our highly touted first pick of last draft period has been mostly injured. Haven’t been following his injury status, but if he’s fit and a chance then his challenge for the rest of 2021 is to earn a taste of senior footy.

27. Caleb Poulter. (Projected 2023 player) Debutant of 2021 so far for mine (with McCreary a close second, and Bianco only being behind them because he doesn’t have the same body of work yet). Caleb has played 7 games in the first 13 rounds, and averaged around 18 disposals a game. Keep that mullet flowing freely Caleb!

28. Nathan Murphy. (Projected 2023 player) Played 7 games, with his highlight being his gutsy Mark of the Year nomination against the Suns. His challenge for the rest of the season is to look after himself in games, and find a bit more consistency, and perhaps find a bit more of the footy.

29. Liam McMahon. Yet to debut.

30. Darcy Moore. (Projected 2023 player) Disappointingly out for the rest of the season.

31. Beau McCreary. (projected 2023 player) I joked at the start of the season that this kid sounds like a character out of a Banjo Paterson poem. After watching his 8 games, gotta say that he plays like a character lifted out of the Geebung Polo club. Kicked 11 goals and averaged over 4 (hard) tackles a game. If this kid is a peek into our future, then our future looks mighty bright.

32. Will Hoskin-Elliott. (projected 2023 player) Played 12 games this season. I reckon fatherhood is treating this bloke well ‘cause in the last body of games he seems to be playing with a bit more poise and his game is the better for it. His next game will be his 150th. I’ve been a little disappointed that he hasn’t broken out to be the player he could be. He’s a strong mark, and has got good footy smarts, just lacks that drive to take the game by the scruff of the neck. I’d love to see him respond well to the new coach, and better realise his potential on his path to 200 games.

33. Jack Ginnivan. (Out of contract) Yet to debut.

34. Isaac Chug. (Out of contract) Yet to debut.

35. Oliver Henry. I saw his debut game live in round 1 and it was a bit underwhelming. He’s played 3 games and yet yo show something. Time is on his side.

36. Brayden Sier. (Out of contract) Played 7 games this year and has either been subbed on or subbed off for three of them. IMO he’s largely kept his place on the list more by his potential than by anything he‘s actually delivered. Another player I hope will respond well to the new coach and start to consistently demonstrate what he can do.

37. Brayden Maynard. (projected 2023 player) After a slow start to the season his game has improved to the point where IMO he’d be second on the Copeland leaderboard. Couldn’t ask anything more of this guy, he brings a passion to his game that is an inspiration to his team mates. Would love to see him in the 2022 leadership group.

38. Jeremy Howe. Played 5 games this season before being effectively injured for the rest of the season. (Only played 9 games the past 2 seasons) He’s about to celebrate his 31st birthday, so sadly you’d think he wouldn’t have too many seasons left in him. He still has the skills and the onfield leadership, but can he get on the park?

39. Aidan Begg. Yet to debut.

40. Ash Johnson. Yet to debut.

41. Brodie Mihocek. (Projected 2023 player) Played in all 13 games, been durable, kicked 21 goals. In a champion team Brodie could easily fill that third tall role, but as our current leading goal kicker he probably carries a bigger load than he would elsewhere.

42. Retired (wonder if there’ll be talk of bringing it out of retirement now that Ed is no longer President? New President isn’t hugely popular and is unlikely to want to take risks on such things)

43. Anton Tohill (Out of contract) Coming up to three years on the list without debuting. Doesn’t look good for him.

44. Jack Madgen. (Out of contract) (Projected 2023 player) Played 10 games this season and after a rather inauspicious start has got it together in the last few games and I reckon he’s showing something. Shows good leadership in the backline and reaps his rewards through hard work.

46. Mason Cox. (Out of contract) Has missed a bunch of games through injury, but despite that, there have been games he has been available and not selected. Hopefully he’s able to start with a clean sheet to impress the next coach but probably gone end of season unless something changes dramatically.

* Thanks to Maggie5 for the list of players out of contract.

Good effort, that would have taken some time.

Although Steele, Madgen and Murphy I can't see being at Collingwood in 2023.

 

[lenny&carl]

Thanks for the write, I agree in parts and disagree in others.

Rantall for me is the perfect example of recruiting an athlete and expecting to make it at the AFL level. To me he is not a footballer, might be a late bloomer and tough going developing in these crazy times with limited VFL exposure due to COVID. I wouldn’t be upset if he was delisted, equally if he was retained. The club will know if he can make the grade.

if Jordy doesn’t find some consistency by years end I think he should be trade bait. Might spur him into action or get us a couple of first rounders to replenish stocks.

Sidey has passed his best, he is fumbling and making uncharacteristic errors. To be fair to him he’s carrying a load he shouldn’t be at his age. I would trade him also, he could contribute significantly in a week accomplished side.

Pendles should be resigned but should give up the captaincy, Adam’s is my pick for that or Moore.

Lynch should get a few more games at AFL level and then be sent back to VFL to play forward of the ball, needs to learn to clunk them. That skill comes last with ruckman.

Cox should be traded, I feel Cameron has edged ahead. Weare already carrying too many almost forwards.

Keane stays, Tohill I’d love to see get a game.

delist C Brown, Ruscoe, Madgen, Wilson and Noble. Wilson is also not a footballer, clogging them list. Noble for me is too much of a liability. Won’t be in our premiership team so I say dump at some point. He is a good squad player, so potentially gets an extension if we have no alternatives.

Murphy, Mccreery, Daicos and IQ have outstanding futures ahead of them in the black and white.

have been disappointed by bothe Macrae and Henry so far. They have showed limited signs. Not easy as a young kid coming into a shambolic side. I’ll back them in on pedigree.

Would you be happy to pay two first rounders for DeGoey?

 

[whiskeytown]

The OP rightly says a lot of players have question marks over them.

But I think only 5-6 to be moved on at years end. 2-3 retirees followed by trading out and delistings. Can’t see us delisting/trading out many, if any, players who are under 25...

Will take 2 in the ND and upgrade 3-4 rookies to the senior list (depending on how many picks it takes to pay for Daicos and Dib)... even if some of those upgrades like Tohill or Wilson only spend a further year on the senior list before being delisted, I have no problem upgrading them only for the short term and allows us to bring in more rookies

I also don’t expect many list changes because the new senior coach might want 12 months to look at what we’ve got before making calls on several of these players at the end of 2022 eg Brown brothers

 

[magpies42]

Would you be happy to pay two first rounders for DeGoey?

If I had confidence that I could get the best out of him. The asking price for Daniher was the same.

We need to get comfortable with the reality that Collingwood and it’s high profile isn’t for everybody.

 

[Markfs]

I think several players are showing that they aren't physically suitable for AFL. Murphy is one of them. He moves like someone 10 kg heavier and 10cm taller. Rantall has no marking power and no speed. Trey Ruscoe the same. These are just a few of the several examples of where Hine has selected players when other teams have stayed clear because of the physical shortcomings. Will Kelly was picked 20 or 30 spots ahead of a bigger stronger Kosinski.

 

[jackcass]

I think several players are showing that they aren't physically suitable for AFL. Murphy is one of them. He moves like someone 10 kg heavier and 10cm taller. Rantall has no marking power and no speed. Trey Ruscoe the same. These are just a few of the several examples of where Hine has selected players when other teams have stayed clear because of the physical shortcomings. Will Kelly was picked 20 or 30 spots ahead of a bigger stronger Kosinski.

Actually, I think Ruscoe is very quick for his size and a good mark.

 

[sr36]

Would you be happy to pay two first rounders for DeGoey?

It depends where in the first round they are or project to be. Two teens picks - without hesitation.

 

[Markfs]

Actually, I think Ruscoe is very quick for his size and a good mark.

You're a better judge than I am. However, I cant change what I think I've seen so far.. I hope that I'm proved wrong.

 

[pablo disco bar]

The OP rightly says a lot of players have question marks over them.

But I think only 5-6 to be moved on at years end. 2-3 retirees followed by trading out and delistings. Can’t see us delisting/trading out many, if any, players who are under 25...

Will take 2 in the ND and upgrade 3-4 rookies to the senior list (depending on how many picks it takes to pay for Daicos and Dib)... even if some of those upgrades like Tohill or Wilson only spend a further year on the senior list before being delisted, I have no problem upgrading them only for the short term and allows us to bring in more rookies

I also don’t expect many list changes because the new senior coach might want 12 months to look at what we’ve got before making calls on several of these players at the end of 2022 eg Brown brothers

Don't forget every year a surprise player decides to leave...who will it be this year?

 

[Timmy from Thomastown]

I wouldn’t be getting rid of a single younger player given limited VFL experience in the past two years. The only exception is the dilemma with Tohill who needs to be promoted to the senior list next year so the club has to consider that carefully. The only other question mark if if Lynch seeks opportunities elsewhere.

it’s time for stability at the club unless trade offers we can’t refuse come our way (which never happens). Maybe 2-3 retirements/delistings (greenwood, Mayne) a few one year extensions on reduced wages (thomas, Sidebottom, Howe) and a trade or two (cox, lynch) is all we need unless a massive offer comes for Grundy or de goey.

 

[mike123]

Josh Daicos didn’t look too promising after 16 games either but he’s come good.

I think he looked very promising just wasn’t AFL ready. His dual sidedness and evasion was there to see from the first day. I don’t see any of those strengths when Tyler gets the ball.