Elliott and Moore both looked terrific. They're the two going into the preseason everyone wanted to see healthy and they're healthy. Beams fit in seamlessly. It sounds like a formula that should based on Collingwood's 2018 finish and the group out on the field lead to a 100-point trouncing. Particularly with Carlton missing Docherty hurt again and the club unable to provide and run or drive without him last year.
What the game against Carlton really drove home/reinforced to me is the value of a healthy Grundy and how vital he is to winning. For mine he's the most valuable and best player in the competition. If Grundy isn't himself, Collingwood aren't a top 12 side, such is the evenness of that top group of sides. And that's not ragging on any replacements. Moore I feel would be best suited as a number one ruckman, and I feel Cox would also be highly effective through there. But just how great Grundy is. Winning the ball, tackling, finding it around the ground, with those skills and still being one of the premier tap ruckman. He's special.
I haven't heard any concerns about Grundy coming out of the game, but he just couldn't jump and looked like he shouldn't have been out there in that final quarter. It was frustrating watching him play through it.
With Grundy looking other than that one spectacular kick fairly ordinary throughout, Collingwood even with a far more talented midfielder didn't look that fantastic. It's not a great sign and it's going to take another Brownlow medal standard season from Grundy as in 2018 for Collingwood to go far - taking the club as far as he can take them.
If I had to pick out something else other than just Grundy that I was left unsatisfied with. I'd say the ball movement from defence was slower and less threatening than I would have liked. It didn't feel like 2018 ball movement and that speed and aggressiveness moving the ball offensively needs to jump up a gear.