Training Training updates 2026.

[Hardas]

Is he even going to end up big bodied and strong? Doesn't look or play like he's strong. Outside runner looks more likely to me.

Fair call, sr.
And I think maybe if we had several other inside mids, or Long could kick, we might not see so much talk of it.
(He certainly showed something on the wing last year).

 

[sr36]

Fair call, sr.
And I think maybe if we had several other inside mids, or Long could kick, we might not see so much talk of it.
(He certainly showed something on the wing last year).

It's the most likely to me - he's a very good runner. If he can nail his running patterns he'll become a solid player. THen if he can tidy up his skills a bit on top of that he'll become a good player. Seems more likely than thinking he's going to transform into a bull.

 

[unplugged]

Is he even going to end up big bodied and strong? Doesn't look or play like he's strong. Outside runner looks more likely to me.

Even if he bulks up, I can't imagine him playing strong. It'd have to be a dramatic change for me to consider him as "strong". He'd be up there with Lipinski as our softest players at the moment.

 

[granniewolf]

It's the most likely to me - he's a very good runner. If he can nail his running patterns he'll become a solid player. THen if he can tidy up his skills a bit on top of that he'll become a good player. Seems more likely than thinking he's going to transform into a bull.

If he could develop some footy smarts I think everything else would be fine.
Not sure how likely it is though into his 4th year in the system.

 

[sr36]

If he could develop some footy smarts I think everything else would be fine.
Not sure how likely it is though into his 4th year in the system.

My thoughts too - I'm trying not to be too negative, as I often am with Ed.

 

[granniewolf]

My thoughts too - I'm trying not to be too negative, as I often am with Ed.

Same here.

 

[stormskye]

My thoughts too - I'm trying not to be too negative, as I often am with Ed.

Negative views on Ed is fine. Best stay clear from Hayes with grannie around

 

[sr36]

Negative views on Ed is fine. Best stay clear from Hayes with grannie around

You've still got to be a bit restrained with Ed. Thankfully, we've got HDM and Ryan to fully unleash on.

 

[Apex36]

Is he even going to end up big bodied and strong? Doesn't look or play like he's strong. Outside runner looks more likely to me.

He’s consistently put on size each preseason. I think he has the size and strength but has no idea how to use it tbh. Outside runner? He doesn’t accumulate on the outside well enough to ever be successful in that role imo.

 

[TradeDraft]

Don’t get me wrong, I think Allan has the tools to make it as a player, and is worth persisting with, but he’s unlikely to become that big bodied burst stoppage player we all wanted him to be. A faster version of Long is probably the best we could hope for at this point.

His best Postion is as a On Baller

At least he can get the Ball More

 

[sr36]

He’s consistently put on size each preseason. I think he has the size and strength but has no idea how to use it tbh. Outside runner? He doesn’t accumulate on the outside well enough to ever be successful in that role imo.

I'm not seeing that power to drive through contest and he still looks to have a skinny core. I'm not seeing what others see in terms of him becoming a big powerful player.

 

[granniewolf]

Negative views on Ed is fine. Best stay clear from Hayes with grannie around

There's plenty of that around too.

 

[granniewolf]

I'm not seeing that power to drive through contest and he still looks to have a skinny core. I'm not seeing what others see in terms of him becoming a big powerful player.

He seems to have really bulked up above the hips but his legs still look skinny, at least his calves and ankles.
Sort of top heavy.

 

[sherrife]

His aggression is good ,but there have been multiple reports from users where his ball disposal has been questionable. Think he needs to clean that aspect of it before he comes into the side.

Especially when teams have shifted towards a fast transition game , a being a turnover machine is an absolute killer in today's game.

Anderson can't be worse than Long on that score. If he can tackle hard and get his hands on the footy, I think he's a chance to be a straight swap if Long's form continues to be where it is at the moment.

 

[Fruit]

An issue I have with Ed moving into the middle is that he has poor finishing skills. That would make him and Ned both less than ideal disposers of the ball in there. With an underperforming forward line we need elite finishers so we can make more of our forward entries.

 

[Mick F]

An issue I have with Ed moving into the middle is that he has poor finishing skills. That would make him and Ned both less than ideal disposers of the ball in there. With an underperforming forward line we need elite finishers so we can make more of our forward entries.

We aren’t overly blessed with young elite midfielders. We have two.

 

[satty]

Anderson can't be worse than Long on that score. If he can tackle hard and get his hands on the footy, I think he's a chance to be a straight swap if Long's form continues to be where it is at the moment.

Agree. Really hope all 3 of our midfield draftees are good enough to make it into the side by or just after the mid season bye. We really need new avenues of growth heading into next season.

 

[Sea fog]

I hope to see more reports of our youngsters that are going to be threaded into the team soon because I am watching so many teams with great youngsters coming through.

 

[unplugged]

An issue I have with Ed moving into the middle is that he has poor finishing skills. That would make him and Ned both less than ideal disposers of the ball in there. With an underperforming forward line we need elite finishers so we can make more of our forward entries.

If I ever found myself at training I'd be watching blokes like Ed Allan train to see what their skills are like with token pressure. In games I feel like he can be rushed, like he's afraid he'll get crunched. So to this very day I'm still unsure if he's average disposal by foot, or if he's just a step off the pace/scared.

To his credit I did see him go against Adelaide in a contest where we really needed him to go. I can't remember who, what or why, but I think it was towards the end of the game near the boundary line.

 

[unplugged]

Alright, 6:30am. Xander Maguire if you're reading this, are you at the Magpies HQ carpark? If so, has Bobby showed up yet?

 

[sideswipe]

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

Outliers, averages are skewed by them. Pendles out for a 20yo drops the average age by a year.

 

[granniewolf]

I hope to see more reports of our youngsters that are going to be threaded into the team soon because I am watching so many teams with great youngsters coming through.

My blood ran cold the other day reading that Jack Crisp would like to keep playing till 40!

 

[sideswipe]

My blood ran cold the other day reading that Jack Crisp would like to keep playing till 40!

That would be great if he can keep going.

 

[granniewolf]

That would be great if he can keep going.

I think you're yanking my chain!

 

[Scodog10]

Outliers, averages are skewed by them. Pendles out for a 20yo drops the average age by a year.

The profile of the 23 that took the field v Adelaide isn’t in the worst shape either with 13 of 23 in the 22-28 age bracket and another 5 in the 29-30 bracket. It’s the profile of a team seeking to challenge and win premierships. The real question is overall talent and the inexperience of the next man in who is primarily u21.