Former Collingwood recruiter Matt Rendell still believes the Magpies can contend as soon as next year if they commit to a fresh start.
The Magpies sit 17th on the ladder after seven rounds having just lost to Gold Coast on the MCG.
Rendell last week called for the club to move on from coach Nathan Buckley and has doubled down, saying he wouldn’t trade away key players because a fresh start with a new coach is all the list needs to get back into the finals mix.
“I’m not in favour of it (Collingwood trading Jordan De Goey) and I’ll tell you why,” Rendell told SEN’s Dwayne’s World.
“They have got a mountain of issues at Collingwood, but if you look at their best 22, I know you don’t often get the best 22, I think next year it’s still capable of winning the flag.
“Scott Pendlebury is the oldest at 33, but he could play until 37 across half back easy, Steele Sidebottom’s still got plenty and a lot of those blokes still have a lot of footy left in him. Jeremy Howe, Jamie Elliott, blokes around 30.
“If they can get some of these kids up to speed, where they’re lacking without Adam Treloar, Jaidyn Stephenson, Tom Phillips and James Aish is they’ve lost the middle tier (age wise).
“So the middle tier they’ve got left is Brayden Maynard, Brodie Grundy, Jordan De Goey and Darcy Moore as the four they’ve got left.
“On their day, they are stars and they need them to play week in, week out and they need to keep those four together to have any success over the next couple of years.
“I really like their kids. They have got a great bunch of kids ready to go, but they’re 18, 19, 20.
“They need these senior players to be in week in, week out and producing their best so these kids are allowed to have ups and downs.
“Right here right now if you traded Jordan De Goey, the bottom six teams aren’t going to trade for him because they’re not in the window to win a premiership and if you’re going to take De Goey you have to be in the window.
“You’re probably only getting a first-round pick outside the top 10 and I don’t think that’s value for him at his best.
“I’m convinced that with a change of guard, and that has to come, I’m sure that with a new coach he can get back to something like his best.
“De Goey, like everyone else in the team, looks completely lost. Nick Riewoldt got it right, they’re playing without soul.
“I’m sure he’s still got his best footy in front of him.”
Rendell went through Collingwood’s best side and feels they have the depth to turn things around.
“If you go and do their best 25, I think they’re still capable,” he said.
“Isaac Quaynor, Maynard, Moore, Howe is a great back four with a Will Kelly or a Mark Keane and you’ve still got Jordan Roughead there.
“Your midfield of Jack Crisp, Tyler Brown, Pendlebury, Josh Daicos, that’s without Nick Daicos who will be in there somewhere next year, is still really good.
“You’ve got Mason Cox, Brody Mihocek, Elliott, De Goey, Beau McCreery and Nathan Murphy as well.
“You’ve still got a bench of Will Hoskin-Elliott, John Noble, Reef Mcinnes is going to be a good player, Brayden Sier, Callum Brown, Fin Macrae, Tom Wilson’s ready to go, Darcy Cameron, Trey Ruscoe played well off half back last week and Ollie Henry is going to be a star and Poulter showed enough to show he’s going to be a very good player.
“I still think they have the basis of a very good team.”
Collingwood faces North Melbourne at Marvel Stadium on Saturday afternoon.
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