Scott Pendlebury says Collingwood will refer to Richmond’s 2018 home-and-away season as the blueprint for dealing with heightened expectations surrounding the club this season.
The Magpies enter the upcoming season as a genuine contender for this year’s premiership after defying the odds to make the 2018 Grand Final, before losing to West Coast in heartbreaking fashion.
Pendlebury believes the Tigers' dominant regular season after winning the 2017 premiership is a great example for the Pies to follow in 2019.
“Last year the expectation started to come in the middle of the year,” Pendlebury told SEN’s KB and The Doc.
“As long as we just focus internally on what we value and how we want to play the game of footy, that really does look after itself.
“Richmond won the Grand Final and were the most dominant side last year. Even though they didn’t get to the Grand Final, they really stepped it up another level and played the same style of footy.
“We’re trying to take a page out of their book by playing our way, our chemistry should be a bit better, we’ve got a few guys coming back and competitions for spots has been really hot all summer.
“Use that, feed off each other and just try and drive each other to become the best side that Collingwood can be.”
Nathank Buckley's side upset Richmond by 39 points in last year's Preliminary Final.
Collingwood open their 2019 campaign against Geelong at the MCG on March 22.
Listen to Scott Pendlebury's chat on SEN's KB and The Doc with Kevin Bartlett and Dr Turf in the player below