Training Training updates 2026.

[Rorzza]

I'm happy for Ed to play on the wing if that's what the team needs but remember he trains as a mid in white. if you think there is no consequences, a lack of familiarity and connection with his teammates that train in black then you're insane and from a coaching perspective a little mindboggling if you're trying to set up a young player to succeed.

 

[Piesinmyeyes]

Moore looked strong in training.
Throw him to CHF, West FF with McStay CHB.
Change it up a bit.
Allan last chance in the guts ...
Hey I’m allowed to dream a bit.

 

[stormskye]

I'm happy for Ed to play on the wing if that's what the team needs but remember he trains as a mid in white. if you think there is no consequences, a lack of familiarity and connection with his teammates that train in black then you're insane and from a coaching perspective a little mindboggling if you're trying to set up a young player to succeed.

hawks are doing the same with weddle.

 

[Rorzza]

hawks are doing the same with weddle.

Sorry, I don't understand what Weddle has to do with Ed, are you saying the Hawks have a better coaches!

 

[Rorzza]

hawks are doing the same with weddle.

Sorry, I don't understand what Weddle has to do with Ed, are you saying the Hawks have a better coaches!

 

[satty]

Really think swadling will be the first new player we will blood this year. He seems to have the tank and the game sense to make it from contest to contest and keep the ball moving . In a slow side, he is exactly what we need.

 

[stormskye]

Sorry, I don't understand what Weddle has to do with Ed, are you saying the Hawks have a better coaches!

You are saying Ed is being played out of position and inferring our coaches don’t know what they are doing. Weddle is Ed’s peer and being played everywhere too by the hawks coaches. Difference is he looks good at afl lvl

 

[sr36]

I'm happy for Ed to play on the wing if that's what the team needs but remember he trains as a mid in white. if you think there is no consequences, a lack of familiarity and connection with his teammates that train in black then you're insane and from a coaching perspective a little mindboggling if you're trying to set up a young player to succeed.

He played at least one full season on the wing in the reserves and about 15 AFL games on the wing. And it's where his one AFL level trait - running is best suited.

 

[Rorzza]

I remember Bucks dropping the Wee-man to the VFL after poor form as an AFL small forward. The Wee-man gathered 30 disposal as a mid in the VFL and Bucks rewarded him the next week. Playing the Wee-man as an AFL small forward and the Wee-man played like shite again.

 

[stormskye]

I remember Bucks dropping the Wee-man to the VFL after poor form as an AFL small forward. The Wee-man gathered 30 disposal as a mid in the VFL and Bucks rewarded him the next week. Playing the Wee-man as an AFL small forward and the Wee-man played like shite again.

Send in the resume. You clearly know how to coach better than a premiership coach with the best winning record in AFL history in his first 100 games

 

[frizzle]

I remember Bucks dropping the Wee-man to the VFL after poor form as an AFL small forward. The Wee-man gathered 30 disposal as a mid in the VFL and Bucks rewarded him the next week. Playing the Wee-man as an AFL small forward and the Wee-man played like shite again.

We did that to Kyle Martin on a number of occasions.

 

[Fruit]

I have a feeling that Ed Allen is going to end up being too good for VFL but lacking the ticker to have consistent good form at the higher level. Hope I am wrong though.

 

[cfc19902010]

wee man got more charity games post 2012 than any pies player I can remember including Callum brown

 

[sideswipe]

Send in the resume. You clearly know how to coach better than a premiership coach with the best winning record in AFL history in his first 100 games

Surely Chris Scott had a better first 100 than McRae?

 

[stormskye]

Surely Chris Scott had a better first 100 than McRae?

It’s very close. Also only coaches 100 games or more so I was mistaken there. Obviously more games will likely bring it down. Still an impressive record for a coach that doesn’t know how to develop kids apparently

 

[sideswipe]

It’s very close. Also only current coaches so I was mistaken there. Not sure about former.


View attachment 2556353

To be picky, that isn't comparing Scott's first 100 to McRae's.

 

[stormskye]

To be picky, that isn't comparing Scott's first 100 to McRae's.

I read it wrong ive mentioned that. My point was against the poster acting like he’s a coach in waiting

 

[joefootylover]

Black forwards:
Beau, McStay, Buller, Schultz. Jamie, Jordy, Membrey

White defenders:
IQ, Josh, Maynard, Frampton, Moore, Houston, Howe

Certainly seems like we have a pretty firm idea on who we think our seven best forwards and seven best defenders are at this stage.

Would think that at this juncture our 8th choice defender is clearly Parker and our 8th choice forward would clearly be West.

Suspect that if Hill came back it would be Membrey or Buller who came out.

Down back McInnes is the wildcard, probably vying with Parker for that "first drop" position.

Cameron is obviously our first choice 1st ruck and Steene is our obvious backup 1st ruck with Buller/McStay at htis stage preferred as "2nd" rucks.

Pendles Crisp and Nick vs Rusty Lippa and Long make up the first choice midfield, who we you add to Cameron make the "7" first choice mids (with Long the most junior partner).

That gives a side of;

FB: Maynard Frampton Quaynor
HB: J.Daicos Moore Houston

R: Cameron Long N.Daicos
C: Crisp Pendelbury Lipinski

HF: McCreery DeGoey Schultz
FF: Elliot McStay Membrey

INT:
Buller (7th forward/2nd ruck)
Howe (7th defender)
Sidebottom (7th mid)

So at the moment the last 2 spots would be our "junior" wings Steele and Allan.

Steele
Allan

EMG:
Parker
McInnes
Steene

INJ:
Hill

Really looking forward to seeing how we go as a whole list against GWS.

Interesting time for the club.

Personally I think Allan can make it as a dynamic attacking center square mid, and that Long can make it as a defensive mis, and that both shape as being long term partners with Nick in the guts.

Time will tell.

 

[Hardas]

Certainly seems like we have a pretty firm idea on who we think our seven best forwards and seven best defenders are at this stage.

Would think that at this juncture our 8th choice defender is clearly Parker and our 8th choice forward would clearly be West.

Suspect that if Hill came back it would be Membrey or Buller who came out.

Down back McInnes is the wildcard, probably vying with Parker for that "first drop" position.

Cameron is obviously our first choice 1st ruck and Steene is our obvious backup 1st ruck with Buller/McStay at htis stage preferred as "2nd" rucks.

Pendles Crisp and Nick vs Rusty Lippa and Long make up the first choice midfield, who we you add to Cameron make the "7" first choice mids (with Long the most junior partner).

That gives a side of;

FB: Maynard Frampton Quaynor
HB: J.Daicos Moore Houston

R: Cameron Long N.Daicos
C: Crisp Pendelbury Lipinski

HF: McCreery DeGoey Schultz
FF: Elliot McStay Membrey

INT:
Buller (7th forward/2nd ruck)
Howe (7th defender)
Sidebottom (7th mid)

So at the moment the last 2 spots would be our "junior" wings Steele and Allan.

Steele
Allan

EMG:
Parker
McInnes
Steene

INJ:
Hill

Really looking forward to seeing how we go as a whole list against GWS.

Interesting time for the club.

Personally I think Allan can make it as a dynamic attacking center square mid, and that Long can make it as a defensive mis, and that both shape as being long term partners with Nick in the guts.

Time will tell.

Boy, what I'd give for a dynamic, high-leaping tall fwd to combine with Cameron as a productive 2nd ruck...
Do we have one on our list currently?
(I'm hoping Steene rises to the occasion soon & he can take some of the centre 'toss ups' while changing at FF with DC - not optimistic on Buller).

 

[swoop42]

It’s very close. Also only coaches 100 games or more so I was mistaken there. Obviously more games will likely bring it down. Still an impressive record for a coach that doesn’t know how to develop kids apparently


View attachment 2556353

In fairness we have the oldest list in the competition and fielded one of the oldest Premiership sides in history in 2023.

Outside a generational talent like Nick our success under McRae has had little to do with our junior development so far IMO.

While we don't win the 2023 Premiership without our veterans, the era we are currently living in is unique, and for all of it's benefits it does have the one possible negative in that it's stopped us being able to give more speculative junior talent senior opportunity. While some of these players would indeed have sunk with more responsibilty, others could have slowly improved with more AFL exposure, which has been the tried and tested pathway across history.

The fact is we are in a moment when not only the soon to be games record holder is still playing, the bloke sitting No.2 on Collingwood games played remains a teammate. Then we have the consecutive games record holder still running around.

While that is remarkable, in just about any other Collingwood era that is 3 players either long retired or banged up, and that would have forced our hand to play more kids.

While I'm not suggesting we would be a better side right now having played an Allan ahead of a Sidebottom etc in 2025, I do know we are close to arriving at the moment when the Piper has to be paid, when some greats are gone and we feel the one downside of their longevity inside the 23.

Personally I feel the biggest test for McRae is still to come and the question of whether he can take a new crop and develop them into Collingwood premiership players is yet be answered.

Fair to say the cupboard currently looks pretty bare for junior talent so the challenge ahead will be massive for McRae, O'Bree and Leppitsch.

P.S.- For the record.....

2010 Collingwood premiership side average age 24y 57d
2023 Collingwood premiership side average age 27y 243d
2026 Collingwood round 1 average age 28y 140d

 

[stormskye]

In fairness we have the oldest list in the competition and fielded one of the oldest Premiership sides in history in 2023.

Outside a generational talent like Nick our success under McRae has had little to do with our junior development so far IMO.

While we don't win the 2023 Premiership without our veterans, the era we are currently living in is unique, and for all of it's benefits it does have the one possible negative in that it's stopped us being able to give more speculative junior talent senior opportunity. While some of these players would indeed have sunk with more responsibilty, others could have slowly improved with more AFL exposure, which has been the tried and tested pathway across history.

The fact is we are in a moment when not only the soon to be games record holder is still playing, the bloke sitting No.2 on Collingwood games played remains a teammate. Then we have the consecutive games record holder still running around.

While that is remarkable, in just about any other Collingwood era that is 3 players either long retired or banged up, and that would have forced our hand to play more kids.

While I'm not suggesting we would be a better side right now having played an Allan ahead of a Sidebottom etc in 2025, I do know we are close to arriving at the moment when the Piper has to be paid, when some greats are gone and we feel the one downside of their longevity inside the 23.

Personally I feel the biggest test for McRae is still to come and the question of whether he can take a new crop and develop them into Collingwood premiership players is yet be answered.

Fair to say the cupboard currently looks pretty bare for junior talent so the challenge ahead will be massive for McRae, O'Bree and Leppitsch.

P.S.- For the record.....

2010 Collingwood premiership side average age 24y 57d
2023 Collingwood premiership side average age 27y 243d
2026 Collingwood round 1 average age 28y 140d

I just can’t agree that it’s got anything to do with development.

There’s no world where HDM, Allan, Ryan etc are great senior players in other teams. If we had good kids other clubs would be knocking. Some very vanilla drafting from Hine.

Thankfully like the bombers we’ve moved from our previous list managers.

We just haven’t drafted well. Not high picks but should have hit a couple from the late firsts and second rounders we’ve had.

Realistically the kids people on here want to play are all very speculative late picks/ rookies in Cochran, west, Hayes and Steene. The fact they haven’t played isn’t a development issue. West I think we’ve developed well, he looks a keeper as it stands. If you went off % alone all 4 are unlikely to make it based off pick ranges alone. Again that’s not a development issue.

 

[Apex36]

Fly was regarded as one of the best development coaches going around before becoming head coach at the pies. The idea he isn’t capable of developing our kids is nonsense, people just have to accept that the likes of Ryan, HDM and Allan just aren’t that good. If they were they’d already be mainstays in the 22.

 

[sr36]

I remember Bucks dropping the Wee-man to the VFL after poor form as an AFL small forward. The Wee-man gathered 30 disposal as a mid in the VFL and Bucks rewarded him the next week. Playing the Wee-man as an AFL small forward and the Wee-man played like shite again.

Blair was a gun midfielder - just not at AFL level. At AFL, he'd get a metre of space and by the time he'd decided what to do, he'd be pnned in a tackle. A bit the opposite of Cal Brown who'd get his metre of space and by the time he'd decided what to do, he'd already panicked and turned it over.

 

[Hardas]

Fly was regarded as one of the best development coaches going around before becoming head coach at the pies. The idea he isn’t capable of developing our kids is nonsense, people just have to accept that the likes of Ryan, HDM and Allan just aren’t that good. If they were they’d already be mainstays in the 22.

Agree with all of that, although I still think it's worth persisting with developing Allan.
I think he came to us as a bit of a blank slate, having little or no clearly developed position, picked up mostly on athletic potential.
If, as some suggest, he's a big mid short of opportunity, I do think he needs to play consistently well in the centre square in the VFL to earn a shot at that role at AFL-level.

 

[Horaceg]

I have a feeling that Ed Allen is going to end up being too good for VFL but lacking the ticker to have consistent good form at the higher level. Hope I am wrong though.

I hope you’re wrong, I think it just needs to click, I’m hoping more for a breakout game but it’s fading a little.