Collingwood's injury list has been absolutely smashed this season, but somehow the Pies are still alive — and heading towards September with a group that suddenly looks very different.
And maybe that's the most exciting part.
The injury list isn't pretty
Jeremy Howe is recovering from a fractured arm and is being assessed this week. Brayden Maynard is also pushing to return from his knee and hamstring issue, while Steele Sidebottom missed the Hawthorn game through illness and is another being assessed ahead of Brisbane.
Sidebottom's situation is a bit different. We know the end of an unbelievable AFL career is getting close, and every game from here means something. He's given Collingwood nearly everything over a career spanning almost two decades — 373 games, two premierships and countless huge moments. If he's right, you want to see Steele running around in black and white for as long as this season lasts.
Patrick Lipinski is recovering from his calf and is listed as around a week away, which should have him right around the wildcard/finals period. Isaac Quaynor injured his glute against Hawthorn and will miss Brisbane, but the club expects him to be available for finals. Harry Perryman is a little further away with his hamstring — currently around two to three weeks.
Then there's the brutal part. Darcy Moore. Jamie Elliott. Reef McInnes. Oscar Steene. Tew Jiath. Their seasons are effectively done. For most clubs, losing that amount of experience and talent would probably finish the year. But something interesting is happening at Collingwood.
The kids are starting to arrive
We've spent years talking about Nick and Josh Daicos when we talk about Collingwood's young talent. Now some different names are starting to emerge — and Sam Swadling might be the biggest surprise of the lot.
The 19-year-old produced a massive performance against Hawthorn — 29 disposals, seven marks and 660 metres gained — and earned the Round 23 Rising Star nomination. But forget the stat sheet for a second. His spoil in the dying moments helped save the game. That's a young player, in his seventh AFL game, standing up when the pressure is at its highest.
Then you've got Will Hayes continuing to get opportunities. Charlie West is another one — he had just two touches the week before and could easily have gone back into his shell. Instead, against Hawthorn, he responded with two goals and genuinely made an impact.
You don't need young players dominating every week. You need them learning, responding and showing that when their moment comes, they're not afraid of it.
And then there's the Hawthorn game
That 92–92 draw was wild. Collingwood led by 22 points at half-time. Hawthorn then turned the game around and got 21 points ahead early in the last. And somehow Collingwood came again.
That's probably the best and worst thing about this Pies side at the moment. When Collingwood switches on, the pressure, ball movement and intensity can still look as damaging as anyone in the competition. The problem is sustaining it.
At this point of the season, I'm not even asking for four perfect quarters. Give me two or three quarters of Collingwood playing its best football and I reckon they're capable of knocking over some very good sides.
