Player Watch Ed Allan

[TradeDraft]

I don't see much doubt about Allan being an AFL player. Tank, speed and size will be enough.

His 2025 was already quite good. Take another step and he'll be a regular this year.

The question will be whether he remains more of a hard running outside player or can become a centre square mid. He's shown ability there but not consistently.

What I seen he is lot better as Center Square Mid then more of a Wing as I have seen last season at AFL and VFL Level he does seem to get lost/Go Missing on the Outside/Wing

 

[TradeDraft]

Need to stop trying to make him a Wingman as on the Wing he is Pretty Much Invisible

Try him in Midfield or something like a Flanker

 

[Bussie]

Can't see him making it. Happy to be proven wrong, but he's had plenty of chances.

 

[thebigsaveloy]

Unfortunately I just don't see it with Ed. He can run but has poor hands, bad disposal and low footy IQ.

 

[Obese Arachnid]

I thought he turned the game for us, when his TOG went down.

 

[stormskye]

Need to stop trying to make him a Wingman as on the Wing he is Pretty Much Invisible

Try him in Midfield or something like a Flanker

He’s not either TD that’s the issue. Another reason why McRae doesn’t play the kids.

 

[Ctracks]

Oh Ed, Swadling will go past him real quick.

 

[TradeDraft]

He’s not either TD that’s the issue. Another reason why McRae doesn’t play the kids.

Had 2 1st Round Picks and Picked to Duds it looks like with HDM and Allan

 

[Go Woods]

Oh Ed, Swadling will go past him real quick.

As will Anderson & Prindable

 

[Ctracks]

As will Anderson & Prindable

Swadling reminds me of Pendlebury.
Prindable is the Ned Long/Tom Mitchell replacement.

 

[PiCkLeJuiCe]

Just trade him to Freo where he should be.

 

[901023]

As will Anderson & Prindable

Looking forward to seeing Swadling roam the expanses of the MCG.

 

[901023]

What I seen he is lot better as Center Square Mid then more of a Wing as I have seen last season at AFL and VFL Level he does seem to get lost/Go Missing on the Outside/Wing

To me, it's as though he doesn't want to be an AFL player bad enough. He's content loping around and getting picked for the seniors when the selection committee deems fit.

 

[cfc19902010]

Ed shaky skills
Jogging around
No intensity .. a bit soft on occasions

Lift son or it’s over

 

[Piesinmyeyes]

To me, it's as though he doesn't want to be an AFL player bad enough. He's content loping around and getting picked for the seniors when the selection committee deems fit.

I was hoping on Ed, thou tonight was bit disappointing.
Just doesn’t seem to want it enough and yeah maybe skills lack.
Doesn’t seem to flow with the team.
Frustrating

 

[larrikan]

He has had a whole pre season to fix his intensity. I watched him at the game and he is flat footed a lot. Doesn’t seem to read the ball movement at all. He has no tackling ferocity if he is the next player up. I’m not sure what role he can fill right now.

Once the VFL starts there will be players pushing him for that spot.

He has the height, the body and talent but just lacks something. It’s not positional. It’s that competitive beast. I hope he wakes up soon or his AFL days with the Pies will be numbered

Some players with potential don’t make it.

 

[sr36]

He has had a whole pre season to fix his intensity. I watched him at the game and he is flat footed a lot. Doesn’t seem to read the ball movement at all. He has no tackling ferocity if he is the next player up. I’m not sure what role he can fill right now.

Once the VFL starts there will be players pushing him for that spot.

He has the height, the body and talent but just lacks something. It’s not positional. It’s that competitive beast. I hope he wakes up soon or his AFL days with the Pies will be numbered

Some players with potential don’t make it

I think he's flat footed because he just thinks too slowly.

 

[rand corp]

Poor by foot today. Put him in a line up and he just looks a player, put him on the park and he just doesn't. Must do more this year, still waiting for a breakout game.

 

[manicpie]

I think he's flat footed because he just thinks too slowly.

I'm starting to think he won't make it. It's only the first game so I'll give him some grace. I really thought he would take the next step

 

[greening22]

He has had a whole pre season to fix his intensity. I watched him at the game and he is flat footed a lot. Doesn’t seem to read the ball movement at all. He has no tackling ferocity if he is the next player up. I’m not sure what role he can fill right now.

Once the VFL starts there will be players pushing him for that spot.

He has the height, the body and talent but just lacks something. It’s not positional. It’s that competitive beast. I hope he wakes up soon or his AFL days with the Pies will be numbered

Some players with potential don’t make it.

Somehow he needs to become passionate about the game & show it & really mean it. As everybody here has said he has the raw physical characteristics to be a competitive beast in the contemporary AFL game. OK. Having watched Collingwood since 1966,, it would be great if we could somehow inject him with some of the ferocious & angry & run-through-brick walls DNA components that Des Tuddenham and/or Phil Carman and/or Darren Millane and/or Stan Magro possessed in spades respectively. In fact with that in mind, I wonder if he needs to on the receiving end of some excessive & perhaps close-to-the-edge physical acts from an opponent? Now I know that they are totally different players, but I do clearly recall that Rene Kink would intermittently fire up & play like a caged beast when he was on the receiving end of some excessive & illegal physical attention from opponents. Therefore does Ed Allen have to be on the receiving end of somethi g similar in order to actually fire him up during a game? Perhaps, I am being overly simplistic & harking back to to different generations of Collingwood players? Maybe that sort of an approach is no longer applicable & realistic in 2026. I can only hope for something to trigger this bloke to really
go at 110% in a game sometime soon. Regardless, goodnight & good luck.

 

[The Phantom]

Ed seems instinctively a bruise free player who is trying not to be, and not quite making it.
The low footy IQ is the killer.

 

[Kappa]

He has had a whole pre season to fix his intensity. I watched him at the game and he is flat footed a lot. Doesn’t seem to read the ball movement at all. He has no tackling ferocity if he is the next player up. I’m not sure what role he can fill right now.

Once the VFL starts there will be players pushing him for that spot.

He has the height, the body and talent but just lacks something. It’s not positional. It’s that competitive beast. I hope he wakes up soon or his AFL days with the Pies will be numbered

Some players with potential don’t make it.

How does he have the talent? What talent does he have? Very poor by foot and no footy IQ.

He's tall and has good endurance.

 

[Drought Break]

a poster reported in pre season training that his handballs are soft loopy passes with no trajectory. Kept an eye on that last night and spot on. With no intensity, soft as butter, low footy iq and poor skills its going to be hard to keep him anywhere need the starting side.

 

[manicpie]

Ed was a big disappointment last night but it's only round 0. I'm not sure if he'll improve but things can turn around quickly in a season. I really don't know if he'll ever make it.

 

[Vicky Park]

Ed was a big disappointment last night but it's only round 0. I'm not sure if he'll improve but things can turn around quickly in a season. I really don't know if he'll ever make it.

Ed has now played 15, 16 games for us, and of those his so-called ‘best game’ at the end of 2024, and his rising star game of last season.

But the rest were not memorable. And the same criticisms keep coming up: a lack of intensity, involvement, engagement.

He’s not gonna make it.