What are our chances ~ 2025

[BazBoy]

Based on how finals was formed and a side-5th goes on to get the chocolates then we had we made it would have made the semifinals and pos the preliminary
A wild statement but we were better geared than Dorks or Dogs or Scum for hard edged finals

[Big T]

A few young teams have to improve next year. For me it’s 5-12 range again. A lot depends on trades.

[What'sinaname]

Pain and suffering is the most powerful emotion. Lions used the pain of a close loss in 2023 to win the flag. Pies used the pain of a close loss in 2022 to win the flag.

The question is, are we hurting enough to win in 2025? For me, look to GWS and Hawthorn as the sides with the greatest amount of pain from 2024.

[SLORT]

The question is, are we hurting enough to win in 2025?

2 days ago ~ "Pies on track early, Collingwood players Pat Lipinski, Nick Daicos, Tom Mitchell and Isaac Quaynor are all out training, as reported by Jon Pierik on the ground. Daicos completed 100-metre sprints and doing some ball work with Mitchell " ~ Says it all.

[Pies2016]

^^^
I keep saying it, the true professionals set out to have personal best off seasons. It’s the off season or the non compulsory sessions that sets up your pre season. It’s a good sign but ultimately you’re looking for buy in from most of the senior group as a minimum ( which is not to say that isn’t happening anyway )
If you’re not giving yourself every opportunity to be the version of yourself as an athlete, the chances are you’ll play on someone who has.

[RudeBoy]

Full injury free seasons from JDG, the Daicos bros, Moore, Cameron and McStay should enable us to secure a top 4 berth imo.

[Presti35]

Next years ladder will be the hardest to predict. Who is going to climb? Who is going to fall?

I felt like Collingwood would have been able to cause some upsets had we made the 8 this year. But we'll never know. I think we can jump over clubs like Port and Swans and are already better than Crows, Essendon, Freo, Suns, Dees, North, Tigers, and WCE. I feel like Saints will actually improve, but that we will be better than them. Who is hard to predict, for me, is Lions, Blues, Cats, Hawks, GWS, and Dogs. Those clubs could go either way and I'm not sure if we'll be jumping them or not. But we can make the top 4 if injuries dont hit us.

Once we've had free agency and trade week, we'll know a bit more about where our list is at I guess.

[Presti35]

The difference between them and us though, is the influence their +30's have had on their season. Those guys you mentioned have either been injured or on the cusp of their best 22. Apart from Nick, our +30's are still in our top 10...

Thats a good point piffdog. We'll see where the 30+'s finish in the Copeland.

1. Nick Daicos = 997 votes
2. Darcy Cameron = 859 votes
3. Josh Daicos = 741 votes
4. Jack Crisp = 740 votes (31)
5. Steele Sidebottom = 719 votes (33)
6. Scott Pendlebury = 682 votes (36)
7. Patrick Lipinski = 656 votes
8. Bobby Hill = 645 votes
8. Brayden Maynard = 645 votes
10. Darcy Moore = 632 votes

But I still think Josh, IQ, Beau, Bobby could be considered top ten, if not close. Hopefully Ed Allan enters this conversation next year or 2026. Tew and DeMattia are unknown, but hopefully get an opportunity soon. Harrison was showing a bit before the knee injury.

IQ and Beau didnt feature in the top ten, but will in the coming years. This time next year, you'd think that at least 3 of the over 30's have given a farewell speech at the Copeland.

[qldmagpie67]

Well it appears by our trade strategy we are going in all for another tilt
We at this stage into Houston Tomlinson Kennedy and have landed Perryman
If we landed all 4 of those we would definitely be much stronger.

So Houston takes Nobles spot Tomlinson takes Dean/Murphy spot down back
Perryman and Kennedy go into the midfield mix ones a in and under ones outside player so both would likely be in best 22.
Who goes out of the midfield ?
Is Mitchell foot worse than we are told ?
Do we want to put JDG up forward more ?
What happens to Pendles and Sidey if JDG and Mitchell along with Nick Crisp and the 2 new mids are all good to go ?

[SLORT]

Do we want to put JDG up forward more ?

This is what worries me. He is at this point our main damaging A-grade player apart from Nick. Him being there or not is the difference between top 4 or finishing 6-10. So many pressure moments where his moments have won us games.
If he's started on the path of many of our champions (McGuane, G.Brown, Buckley) of getting these groin / hamstring soft tissue types of injuries then we are not served by having him spend big minutes in the midfield. Sure, when it counts in the finals, move him in there for bursts. Otherwise, last year will become the norm, where the club keeps pushing him back in and his body keeps letting him down. He is 29 next year. McGuane was basically done by thirty.

[piedys]

Do we want to put JDG up forward more ?

This is what worries me. He is at this point our main damaging A-grade player apart from Nick. .... Otherwise, last year will become the norm, where the club keeps pushing him back in and his body keeps letting him down. He is 29 next year.

Kinda doesn't help when you have Whorethorn parasites grabbing your jumper when you don't yet even have the ball at a contest, and the maggots just let things play out like the Holding rule changed during the week...

[BazBoy]

I’m interested in how the senior aging are used

They I believe have stated their preparedness to play games at VFL to give the up & comers play time in AFL

[piedys]

Okay scribes; having Harry and Dan come aboard has given me hope again, going into 2025.

Although neither have blistreing speed, they are still match-hardened bodies to give us some muscle in the middle,
and down back, which of course diminishes any extra workload expected of Nick.
They have many pre-season campaigns behind them, so fitness will not be an issue.
And we can't be over cooking the goose laying our golden eggs for us, in Nick....

We matched well against most teams barring Whorethorn in the latter half of 2024.
I feel they are our litmus test, and have been of that opinion since they rolled us late 2023,
and ruining Nick's brownlow in the process.
They embarrassed us in the centre clearances; this must be addressed, pronto.

[Mr Miyagi]

Comes down to injuries and draw. Both derailed our season this year. If we get fewer injuries next year, we’re a lock for finals.

[Pies4shaw]

Collingwood will win the Grand Final by about 20 goals.